Faerie I: An Angel's Demon
by Silver as the Rain
Summary: Is magic a curse or a blessing? Fae isn't sure about the answer. She's timid. Small. Afraid. Her magic is one she barely dares to touch for fear of it taking control over her and turning her into a monster without a soul that will kill, destroy and sacrifice all in the name of power. Seeking security and sanctuary, Fae stumbles across a strange guild. A guild called...Fairy Tail.
1. A New Beginning

**So Fairy Tail is one of my all time favourite animes, if not then my absolute favourite and I've been wanting to write something for it for a while and now here it is! This was actually a request from one of my friends, so this is dedicated to her. She knows who she is ;) Anyway, hope you all enjoy the story, it begins now!**

 _ **"Aye Sir!"**_

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 _"_ _You're nothing more than a cowardly rat."_

 _"_ _You'll never make it in this world, it's gonna eat you up and spit you back out like the reject you are."_

 _"_ _Useless! Can't you do anything right you little brat?"_

 _"_ _I wish you'd never been born. You can't even defend yourself! You're no more use to us or our family than a drowned fish in a barrel."_

 _"_ _You're no daughter of mine."_

The voices all rang in my mind as I took deep, even breaths. My honey toned eyed opened to look out over the city before me as it bathed in the glorious light of the sunset, cloaked in rich gold and silky tones of amber also as it rested peacefully in the cradle of the hills with the glittering sea resting far behind it.

In this light the water moved with a subtle softness with the sparkling light adding a more insistent vibrancy that simply took my breath away, from the sea to the river that cut through the city with a large breadth. It had taken me an entire four months to get here, but still it felt like it had only been a simple breath and step to reach this point.

It had taken a lot of courage, but I had made it. I had escaped the hell that I had left behind me and there was no chance that I will be going back. My sights are set on something better, something that will hopefully lead me to a better life away from what I had known previously.

I cannot dwell on the past. It will only restrain and torture me further. I have to be strong and move on now, even though I'm frightened. The prospect of an entirely new life in a new city terrifies me as I will be completely independent for the first time in my life. Though most of my nightmares still remain with me as well as my own demons, I still cannot imagine a better path for me than the one that I am walking now.

Turning away from the rise overlooking the city I continued to walk, struggling for breath slightly as my bare feet touched the gritty road. Every fibre of my body ached and my stomach was howling so loud I was sure it would draw wild animals to me in flocks but I pressed on, ignoring the discomfort as I followed the path that would lead me into the city.

My fingers curled into the walking stick that I leaned dependently on, using it to support my weight as my feet found softer ground and I realised with a start that I was entering the city and its cobbled stone streets. I was here! Finally, now is my chance to finally disappear from the world I left behind me. My family will never think to look for me here, less so in the place that I'm planning on staying.

In this world, people can use magic and we call those people wizards. They can be extremely powerful and undertake dangerous missions to help those in Earth Land. My entire family were wizards and had even formed their own Guild, however they were not pure hearted people. They were poisonous and deceptive, some of the fiercest and most dangerous wizards ever known to exist. The Morning Spears. An assassination guild.

That kind of guild was illegal, of course, but my family had such a fierce reputation that none dared to oppose them and they were so secretive that none had ever even discovered our mansion and base of all operations.

They had tried to turn me into one of them, into a cold blooded killer, but I just couldn't do it. I could not take a life as heartlessly as my siblings or even my father did. He used to tell us creepy bedtime stories about how he used to bathe us in the blood of his victims, draining them dry and taking it home to strengthen us ourselves, to become immune to blood in every way possible. I had scrubbed myself clean for days after hearing that for the first time, as I knew my father well enough to know that he was not lying.

The city was so peaceful, it had a warm glow about it that I just could not help but smile at. I took a deep breath of the salty air and allowed it to cleanse and soothe my beating heart as I continued to fumble forwards. I knew I drew a few curious stares but I simply ducked my head again and shuffled on, hiding my face under the long raven locks of my hair. Sure, my clothes had seen better days and I must look a mess, but don't they know it's rude to stare? I don't like so many people looking at me.

As I walked I felt a certain magical presence close to me and it made me stop and lift my head, drawing in a deep breath through my nose to smell the air. I separated the scents of baking bread, flickering fires and warm homely smoke rising from the chimneys to find a certain static energy that tasted…pure. Pure and…clean. Very clean. I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's very hard to describe really. It was certainly misplaced and I could not quite pinpoint the type of magic, however I now had the location.

I looked up ahead and to my left to the opposite side of the street just a few paces in front of me to see a guy leaning against the wall, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his green jacket with a fur lined hood. The rest of him was cast in shadow, however I saw a glinting reflection of glasses from amongst the shadows as they were shifted further back up the bridge of the magic wielder's nose before all at once they disappeared.

A slight shudder tickled down my spine but I thrust the sensation away and continued forwards. The city was soon huge that I found myself wandering rather aimlessly, so I stopped a sweet smelling flower shop and asked for directions to the Guild Hall of one of the most famous guilds of all time. My father hates their guts, which is why I was going to them. They were said to be all powerful, practically unbeatable and they worked on the ethics of family, loyalty and complete devotion to the guild. I wanted something like that, a family that I could trust to protect me and trusts me to protect them in return, although I'm not sure what good I'd be in a fight.

Even now under the numerous looks and stares I shivered, a small fear creeping into the back of my mind, implanted there by the ones I used to call family. The women I didn't mind so much, but the men? They frightened me. More than any kind of monster or beast, because in my experience, it was always men who delivered the worst punches.

A sharp sting flared in my head and I hissed, falling to my knees slightly but I shook my head, forcing myself to get a grip. I can't stop now, I'm so close. The lights of twilight were lit and the stars were looking radiant tonight. I must draw strength from them in order to complete this task I have set myself. I cannot falter now.

So with a fresh determination I stepped back up to my feet and steeled my nerves, ignoring every flinch of pain as I set my sights ahead of me. It took longer than I expected to cross the entire city, however by nightfall I stood at the gates of the Guild I had searched for all these months. Fairy Tail.

They were said to be the greatest, and I wanted to become stronger, so if there was any place that could teach me how to become the best that I can be, it's this place. Taking a deep breath I pressed my eyes shut and prayed upon the soul of my mother to give me strength, wishing she were right here beside me. Despite being seventeen years old, I wanted her there to hold my hand like she used to when I was little every time I was afraid. I was her last and only daughter, however her deep love and silent pride tore her away from me when she tried to…to shield me from him…no! Stop it, you cannot think about that anymore. It's done. There is _nothing_ you can do to change what's happened. That's the end of it.

My hand clenched into a fist at my side though I knew my facial expression betrayed my terror, however I didn't care. I am going to join this guild, I'll do my best and then learn how to further myself to do better. That was I can become a true warrior and wizard, so no one can ever touch the ones I care about ever again.

Exhaling for the final time I stepped through the gates then slowly pushed open the wooden door. I had heard an instant murmur come from within, a warm atmosphere of conversation bubbling over softly as I slowly slipped inside, sticking my head in first with a slight tremble of my shoulders to see what it was like.

It looked quiet with various wizards, both men and women, sat at tables drinking from their tankards, though I was startled when I saw one woman actually drinking from a barrel and didn't look like she was going to stop any time soon. Shouldn't she drown if she drinks like that?

There was a slight sour smell in the air mixed with the musky scent of sweat and it instantly made me freeze in place, my eyes widening in fear as I realised just how many men were there inside. Get a hold of yourself, this is no time to back out now. Mom's counting on you.

Right. I can do this. So I gently and quietly slipped inside and touched a hand to my chest, feeling the hammering of my heart as I took a step forwards, however by this moment I drew the attention of everyone inside and they all stared at me as if I were a trespasser, which I technically was. Oh no, have I gone about this the wrong way? Will they kill me for stepping on their territory without permission?

The silence could be sliced with a knife and it caused me to freeze in place once more, shivering with a nervous squeak as my eyes widened to their fullest, petrified to the spot as many looks narrowed at me suspiciously, however a white haired girl of extraordinary beauty walked towards me wearing a modest maroon dress and a beautiful smile that warmed me to the core, effortlessly allowing me to relax as she approached. "Hello there! Welcome to Fairy Tail, is there something we can do for you?" She questioned me politely and I stumbled for words slightly, still staring up at her in slight awe. Can people really be this pretty? "My name is Mirajane Strauss, what about you?"

"Oh…I'm…I'm…" My stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, causing a deep blush to heat my cheeks as I clutched it tightly in an attempt to hide the noise. With the delicious smells of food wafting in from behind the bar, my mouth watered like a ravine and I couldn't even concentrate properly. It smelled so wonderful. "So…hungry…" My knees collapsed beneath me and I fell forwards however Mirajane was quick to catch me, gasping in shock as she lowered down to the floor and several chairs scraped back in concern with a murmur rippling through the onlookers.

I could barely keep my eyes open and I felt so cold, however as Mirajane touched my brow she exclaimed at its heat. How could I be hot? I'm so freezing. What I wouldn't give for some fire magic right now, or just a hot bath. I feel so yucky from travelling on foot for all this time, I'd barely even stopped for more than a day in any place in fear of followers. "You're feverish and you must be starving, you poor thing." Mirajane said to me as several faces crowded above me. "Don't you worry, you're going to be just fine." Her voice, it's so reassuring and soft, like a lullaby my mother used to sing to me as she combed my hair.

She had loved my hair. I remember how she would sit behind me on the bed as I played with my doll, combing or plaiting its own hair as she lovingly caressed mine. Hers had been a honey toned brown but she had constantly admired my own onyx tresses, as she called them. As deep as the onyx stone yet as glossy as silk. It was only that way because she kept it so well, these days it had lost its lustrous shine and was more of a deranged mess than straight hair.

I felt someone carrying me and by their strength, I could tell it was a guy however I was too weak to fight back and nor did I want to. I hoped that they weren't carrying my sorry rear back out onto the street, however Mirajane had sounded so reassuring, so I trusted her word that they weren't going to abandon me.

My back touched softness and in my blind murmurings, I felt someone begin to rub warm water onto my body, though I could hardly feel it. I was going numb and I was shivering like a thistle in the wind, the hairs on my arms standing bolt upright. Mom. I want my mom. I wish she was here right now, I need her so much. But I can't have her back. She was stolen from me, and I promise that one day I _will_ avenge her. My father will pay for what he did that day.

Lights burst before my eyes and as the nightmares rolled in, I screamed.


	2. Welcome to Fairy Tail

**Thank you _Shaded Star of the Sky_ for the review post, this chapter is dedicated especially to you ;)**

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Someone was singing.

That was the first realisation that came to me as I came around. Someone was singing rather prettily. Where am I? I know I can't be at home, because none of the maids sing that well and it's certainly not my brothers because their voices all broke ages ago and they could never sing in the first place.

I felt a whole lot better than I had done before. In fact I was peaceful. There was no pain, no hunger, I was warm and in fact, I was laying on a soft bed with lavender incense wafting through the room, giving off a soothing aroma that made me inhale deeply before I opened my eyes.

Sunlight filled the room and I gave a dreamy smile, unable to remember the last time I had felt so comfortable. My head turned to the side and I saw Mirajane sitting by the window, sewing with her lips moving in a soft song that I had never heard before but already I greatly admired.

As if sensing I was awake, she turned and looked at me in surprise before smiling. "Good morning! I'm so glad to see you awake. You slept through the night. You gave us all quite a scare, falling into the guild that way. Your magical energy was dangerously low and you had a raging fever but everything seems to be back to normal now." She trilled happily as she came forwards and touched my brow, checking my temperature as I slowly sat up, feeling a little stiff now that I was moving.

"Thank you, I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble." I murmured to her as I touched my head gently but Mirajane only smiled and shook her hand reassuringly. I loved her smile, it was so honest and kind.

"No of course not! Don't be sorry, it was our pleasure." She told me before sitting down beside my legs, turning her gentle blue eyes onto me. "Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Fae." I answered, drawing myself up a little with a smile. "I've travelled for three months to get to Fairy Tail, I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I joined the guild. I need to earn a living and this is what I want to do with my magic, I've always dreamed of finally doing something constructive with my powers and I heard that this guild is the greatest around." I explained as Mirajane checked my pulse and poured me a glass of water, obviously hearing how my voice was cracking slightly.

"Three months? That's a long way to be travelling, no wonder you were so exhausted." She said to me as she handed over the cup and I drank deeply from it, the coolness of the water soothing my throat and further awakening me. "Well, as far as I can tell, you've shown real determination to be a part of our guild, so I don't see a problem!" She beamed at me and I exhaled with relief. "What kind of magic do you use?" She questioned me and I slumped slightly, blushing deeply.

"Oh…well I…I use…"

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me, I was just curious." Mirajane waved her hands at me and I nodded my head, giving her a small smile. "Master Makarov has already seen you and he says that your magic power is very strong, so he's already given his approval." Mirajane told me then reached out to pick up a large stamp from the bedside table. "Now, if you're certain that this is what you want, then we can sign you up right now."

"Really? Just like that? I get to be a member of Fairy Tail?" I sat bolt upright and my eyes glittered with a hopeful wonder. I didn't think they would accept me so quickly, I thought I would have to go through exams or tests of some kind, did they really just trust my word?

"Of course. Master Makarov is very good at determining a person and he thinks you deserve a little help and a break from what you've already had to endure. Besides, he's not one to turn down a pretty girl." She giggled and I blushed modestly, glancing away as an uneasy smile touched my lips. "Now, where would you like your insignia?" She asked me and I thought for a moment then glanced over my arms, trying to find an unscratched part of skin.

I turned over my right hand and looked to my inner wrist before holding it out to Mirajane who pressed down the stamp, which glowed brightly and I felt a strange tingling prickle at my arm but then it was over so quickly. When Mirajane lifted away the utensil, I blinked as I saw a golden tattoo shaped like a strange wing rested on my skin. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen it turn out gold before. That's just got to mean you're special."

"Thank you Mirajane." I murmured, touching the marking tenderly before smiling. I really made it. It's almost unreal, like a dream.

"When you're feeling a little better you can come out and meet everyone else and I'll explain everything to you, okay?"

"I'm feeling better right now. I'm alright, don't worry about me." I promised as I shifted in the bed, making to get up. "I'd like to see everything and I promise I won't overdo it." Mirajane hummed in thought, conflict flickering in her eyes before finally she nodded and held out her hand, helping me up.

When I finally stood from the bed I blinked in surprise to see that I wasn't wearing my own clothes. "I hope you don't mind but your old things were a little dirty, so I've washed and fixed them up a bit." Mirajane said to me, pointing to a pile of folded clothes on the side. "Though I think you could do with some new ones, so I've left out some spares of mine, feel free to change. I'll be waiting outside for you." Deeply grateful I nodded my head and slowly made my way over to the chair where Mirajane had set out some of her own clothes.

The shirt was a white buttoned up sleeveless turtleneck with red rimming the hems, modestly covering my slim frame with a pair of black shorts to go with them. The shorts were rather revealing and I flushed with embarrassment at my legs which were still a little bruised and scraped but I ignored this factor and pulled on the sneakers Mirajane had left me as well. Black and red with white laces. I felt like a completely new person, refreshed and revitalised.

Noticing a brush on the table I picked it up and worked it through my hair before taking the red ribbon and tied my hair back from my face though a few unruly tresses framed my cheeks, the rest of my hair spilling free down my back. Mirajane must have washed it for me as it smells absolutely wonderful, like cinnamon.

"Fae? Are you ready?" Mirajane called out with a gentle tap on the door so I walked slowly over to it, still feeling a little lightheaded and sore, then stepped outside. "Wow! You look great! Even prettier than before."

"Thank you Mirajane, this is so kind of you. I truly am grateful." I said to her quietly but she only smiled and chuckled before leading me forwards.

"This way, I think you'll like it here. We've got wizards of all types in this guild and we're also one of the largest. You're certain to make many friends here and the ties that you make last forever, we're more of a family than a guild." She explained to me as we left the infirmary room to enter the beer hall where everyone was hanging around. "Over there is the request board. You can take any quest you like with the consent of the master and if you can successfully complete it, you'll get paid by your clients which you can spend however you choose."

"What kind of quests are there?" I asked her as she led me over to the board then gently lifted her hand to gesture towards it.

"Take a look for yourself." She encouraged so I turned and began to read some of the posters. Wow, there was certainly a wide variety. Bandit catching, lost jewellery recovery, ancient artefacts, beast taming or killing. It was endless. "I advise that you don't go on a job on your own for the first few tries but instead take someone with you who has a little more experience, that way you'll learn on the job and be much safer."

"I agree." I nodded my head then tensed, my spine stiffening as I suddenly realised that there were eyes watching me. Slowly I turned around then yelped, jumping backwards to find a crowd had gathered behind me and they were inspecting me closely with rather intimidating looks on their faces. I jumped behind Mirajane and cowered behind her, gripping my fingers into my chest as I nervously looked over her shoulder as she laughed.

"Don't be afraid, these are your new guild mates. Say hello everyone!" She called out and suddenly there was a chorus of shouts, all of them grinning and waving whilst calling out their greetings as I trembled behind Mirajane. You should see some of these men, they were huge! One of them was at least twice my size with white hair and a scar running down one side of his face from the eye. He looked terrifying as he nodded his head to me. "That's my brother Elfman, he's not as scary as he looks." Mirajane said with a giggle as her brother suddenly dropped his arms to his sides and clenched them into fists.

"A real man looks as intimidating as possible! And I'm a real man!" Okay, now I'm a little freaked out. I'm uncomfortable around guys to begin with but this one was like a giant to me and looked like he was going to grind my bones for bread.

"Hey, you're super cute! What's your name?" Two guys called at the same time, one of them wearing a large hat however a smaller blue haired girl pulled them back with a concerned look on her face.

"Come on you two, give her some space! Can't you see she's shy? Honestly." She shook her head then leaned forwards, giving me a warm smile. "Hi there, I'm Levy, it's nice to meet you." She greeted and I relaxed a little, giving her a smile in return but then an arm dropped around my shoulders and a full flooded panic shot through my body.

"Well then sweetheart, how about I give you a tour of the city? I'd be honoured to accompany such a beauty like you." I didn't even hear what the guy said, all I could imagine was the restraint being locked around my neck and the pressure being applied. I couldn't help it, but I screamed out loud.

Everyone leaped back in shock, startled by my sudden outburst as I flung out my arm to push the guy away from me and leaped away from him, scrambling to put as much distance between me and him as possible so I hid behind the board as everyone just stared at me whilst I trembled like a pathetic leaf in the wind. "Please don't touch me. Please don't." I begged with a trembling voice.

"It's okay, Loke didn't mean to scare you, please come on out." Mirajane urged softly, peeking around the board to see me hunched over myself, arms wrapped around my waist as I struggled for breath. "He's just a little overly friendly, he's not going to hurt you, no one is." Mirajane smiled so I exhaled and ordered myself to get a grip. You're a part of Fairy Tail now, Fae, this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.

"Okay. I'm sorry." I whispered tightly and stepped forwards to reappear.

"Hey! The name's Natsu and this is my buddy Happy." A pink and spiky haired boy suddenly dropped down in front of me and ignited his fists into flames as a blue flying cat circled around his head.

"Aye sir!"

"How about you and I go for a few rounds? Let's see what you're made of!" He made to swing a fist straight at me, still burning with bright firelight and I cried out again, flinging myself back as Mirajane desperately called out for Natsu to stop, however a shirtless guy suddenly stepped in the way, glaring at Natsu as he cracked his knuckles together.

"You're such an idiot Natsu, she's clearly freaked out because you're getting all in her face." The barely dressed guy said icily before grinding a fist into one hand, forming a cold icy magic in his palm. "How about I pummel some sense into you?"

"Bring it on icicle, I'm all fired up and ready to kick your butt!" And then suddenly it was an all out war. Natsu and the ice wizard flung themselves into a full fisted battle which then dragged everyone else into the fight as well, insults flying left right and centre as Mirajane hurried over to my side with worry written in her features.

"Are you hurt? I'm so sorry, Natsu is a little hot headed but he didn't mean anything by it, he just wanted to make you feel a little more at home." She explained to me with a chuckle, smiling with closed eyes over the ruckus that now consumed the beer hall. I could only stare in shock. This was homely for them?

"Don't look surprised, we've already had two fights between Natsu and Gray already. They fight all the time so this is pretty normal." Levy said as she walked over to my side and with two girls standing either side of me I instantly relaxed. "Hey, you're not afraid of the guys, are you?" Levy asked me, her keen eyes noticing my now relaxed frame. "They won't hurt you, you know."

"I have a bad experience with men in general." I murmured, lowering my head as I felt a wave of sadness rush over me. "They frighten me no matter who they are. I don't like to be near them because it's safer if I just stay away." Mirajane and Levy both started in surprise then stared at me with sympathy and confusion, obviously wondering what I meant by what I said. "I'm Fae by the way." I introduced myself so Levy shook her head to snap out of her stare then smiled.

"Nice to meet you. Welcome to Fairy Tail. I hope you like it." She laughed as one of the guys was thrown our way and knocked into a table where a woman was drinking deeply from a barrel, the same as before.

"Jeez, what's a girl to do to drink in peace around here?" She mumbled before kicking her invader away then pulled out some cards, smirking as she fired a few off and they exploded among the fray, making me stare in shock before she winked at me. "The name's Cana, welcome to Fairy Tail, kid." She drawled with warmth, making me giggle slightly.

My eyes were then drawn to a guy who sat on the far side of the room with his arms draped around two girls, head rolled back with disinterest. I instantly recognised the green duffel coat and his scent, my eyes widening as I realised he was the same guy as I'd seen yesterday hanging around an alley. Well what do you know? Small world.

He had short orange hair and the same shades as I'd seen before, a casual smirk on his overly handsome face with the two girls fawning over him like he were some god. Did girls really fall for guys so badly like that?

"I see you've spotted our little heartthrob of Fairy Tail." Mirajane teased me gently, making me jump slightly as I awoke from my slight daze. "Handsome isn't he?" I blushed slightly and looked away from her. "That's Loke, the one who surprised you earlier."

"Oh." Was all I could think to say. I felt a little guilty but looking at him now, I could see his ego wasn't bruised at all by my obvious rejection so I didn't sweat on it for too long. I bit my lip as I looked at the continuing fight, wondering if there was something we could do to stop them all. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if they wrecked the entire joint.

Without warning the doors flew open and silence deafened the hall, causing me to gasp slightly at the sudden change in dynamics. Everyone had frozen in place as a figure walked forwards like a scarlet storm, the long hair riding on the breeze as the armour clad woman entered with a stern look of disapproval. "What is the meaning of this? Put this place back to order at once!" Her commandeering voice instantly demanded respect and I stared as she continued to storm forwards, everyone parting to make way for her. "Natsu, stop choking Gray, Gray put some clothes on for goodness sake. Cana, find a different outlet other than drinking, Jet stop racing up the wall and get back down here this minute. I want this place spotless by the time I look over my shoulder!" Wow, I wish I could be as tough as her.

Her eyes suddenly turned to me and I jolted, going stiff as a board as she turned and began to walk towards me whilst the guys behind her instantly scrambled to put the mess hall back into order. "You're new here." She stated with a studious look over me, arching an eyebrow. "You look as if you've been in the wars."

"You could say that, ma'am." I answered quietly whilst trying to hide the shake in my hands. I feel as if I should be saluting to her and I had to halt my hand as it jumped to do so, giving a slight twitch instead. A slow smirk turned her lips upwards and I relaxed a little, giving the warrior woman a smile in return as she reached out and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Well then, welcome to Fairy Tail. I'm Erza Scarlet." She greeted.

"Fae." I replied but gave no more than that. Fae was all I wanted to be, so there was no point in giving my last name.

"Fae…wonderful. I hope you settle in nicely, I'm sure _everyone_ will treat you well." She emphasised pointedly before glancing over her shoulder, smirking at the innocent grins she received back from everyone behind her, the beer hall somewhat returned to its former state minus a few broken chairs and tables. Wow, they sure worked fast with Erza barking the orders.

"I look forward to my life here." I assured her before groaning softly, my hand jumping to my head as it started to spin uncontrollably and my knees buckled as a heaviness slammed down against my shoulders.

"Be careful!" Mirajane squeaked as she and Levy quickly caught me together, holding me upright as I gripped onto them for support. "You're still not completely healed, you need to rest and restore your magical energy, it's still a little weak." She told me tenderly.

"Here, we'll help you back to the infirmary." Levy said then slipped an arm around her neck to help carry my weight as I gave her a weary but gratifying smile.

"Thanks…Levy…Mira…" I breathed heavily as Erza frowned at me.

"They are right, you should rest. Make sure you take all the time you need to recover." Erza said to me before stepping aside, allowing Mirajane and Levy to help me walk back to the infirmary where I fell back into bed the way I was and swiftly fell asleep.


	3. First Quest

**I'm on a roll here, next chapter is now up! This one is for _Mazelover_ , thank you for your review, it is greatly appreciated!**

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When I next awoke they told me I'd slept through the entire day and into the morning, making me blush guiltily. Surprisingly the guild hall was rather empty when I walked up to the bar to see Mirajane and hopefully find something to eat. She happily brought me some breakfast and I ate everything to the last crumb, feeling completely starved but the food was so good I couldn't help but practically inhale it all. "You sure were hungry, do you want some more?" She asked but I shook my head, knowing that I could only afford the one helping with the last of my money. "Alright then, you take it easy now. Maybe today you should just find accommodation, or if you prefer you can stay in the dorms here for one hundred thousand jewels a month." No way! I don't have that kind of money!

I think the alarm showed on my face as I tore back from the bar, hands waving quickly at Mirajane. "No, no! That's okay, I think I'll go looking for someplace in the city, it'll be a little quieter out there." I excused and Mira giggled.

"I agree, that's a great idea. Now don't go pushing yourself too hard okay? Make sure you take plenty of breaks and keep yourself nourished and hydrated during the day and don't walk too far. Remember, if you're too tired to continue searching we can fix you up with a temporary room here where you can rest, so there's no need to worry at all." I nodded my head, relaxing into a smile.

"Thanks Mira, I'll be back this evening hopefully with good news. Wish me luck!" I waved as I turned and began to run, making her beam and wave back at me.

"Good luck! Remember don't push yourself!" She reminded me and I tossed her a grin before leaping out the doors and out into the sunlight, various chuckles following me as I spun around with my arms spread, absorbing the fresh taste of freedom before I took off running.

It felt great to stretch my legs and I spread my arms to feel the rush of wind as I sped forwards faster than the average human, streaking through the streets with laughter before I found myself at the place I had wanted to visit for a long time. The central park. It was defiantly worth the wait.

The trees were full of life and I could feel the magical energy surging through the earth, sturdy and strong with the fresh breeze cooling my skin as I fell back on a hill and stretched out under the sunlight, smiling peacefully to myself as I watched the clouds wander by. My fingers curled into the grass and I smelled their fresh sweetness before I lifted my hand up towards the sky and began to move my fingers, pretending to control the wind as it guided the leaves in a spiralling dance.

"You're cute, you know that right?" A voice said from behind me and I instantly whipped around onto my front, staring at the figure that leaned against the large oak tree that stood at the peak of the hill I was resting on. "I thought I'd try introducing myself again seeing as last time you practically went running away screaming from me." Loke stepped forwards into the light, his hands in his pockets and a small smirk on his lips before he looked down at me with a soft expression. "Hey, I'm Loke." I heard him and I knew he was talking to me but I just couldn't move. "And…you are…?" He waited but I only swallowed and move backwards, glancing over my shoulder to see if I had time to escape. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you."

Loke took a step forwards but I flinched back from him, my apparent phobia of men getting the better of me. Stupid girl, just get a grip already. "Please just try to relax, you can trust me. It pains my heart to see such a pretty girl afraid of me. I really didn't mean to scare you yesterday." He knelt down on the ground with a smile to me, winking as he stopped moving closer to me and I remained in place still staring at him. Behind his glasses I could see eyes of delicate hazel, yet they were oddly inviting. He was such a pretty guy, one of the kinds that spelled trouble for all girls with romantic hearts.

He lifted a hand to hold it out to me, offering a handshake and I blinked at it in surprise before biting my lip. Slowly I stretched out my hand, flinching slightly before I took a deep breath and placed my hand in his. Loke tightened his grip ever so slightly and shook my hand, still smiling at me as I stared in disbelief. His hand was so warm and soft, unlike anything I'd ever felt before. Of course I was used to my brothers, uncles and father but still, I didn't think men could be so gentle. I thought it was in their nature to exert their strength at every opportunity.

"So are you going to tell me your name or should I ask Mirajane?" He asked me, still holding my hand though we weren't shaking anymore.

"F-Fae. I'm called Fae." I answered him before snatching back my hand, gasping in surprise before quickly turning my back, holding my knees close to my chest as I hid my face away. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude."

"It's okay, I'm just a little curious." Loke answered and I heard him stand up and walk a wide arc around me before he sat down on the grassy bank a little way away from me but not too far so that I couldn't hear him. "You show up out of the blue and all of a sudden you're all anyone can talk about. People are rather interested in the reason why you're so terrified of men but fine with other women. It's intriguing." I looked away from him again though I knew his eyes still hadn't left me.

"That's a story best left on the shelf." I answered before exhaling, looking up to the sky as the sun continued to rise higher into the sky, making the day even hotter and I tilted back my head, allowing the sun's rays to sink into my skin. I could use with some tanning, I was deathly pale and it made me look weak and ill.

"You know, it's going to be a rather hot day. How about we go get some ice cream?" Loke suggested to me and I looked at him before frowning in sudden confusion at the unfamiliar word.

"What's ice cream?" I asked him. If a dragon had suddenly dropped down from the sky and swallowed the both of us up, I think Loke would be less shocked than how he looked now. His mouth practically fell to the floor as he exclaimed loudly.

"What?! You've never had ice cream before? Or even _heard_ of it? Well we have to fix that. Come on! I'll treat you to the best ice cream you'll ever taste. Come with me!" He was suddenly as giddy as a kid, making me blink as he leaped to his feet and held out his hand to me which I instinctively shrank back from. Loke recognised his mistake then smiled at me, his body relaxing further. "Hey don't be scared. You're part of Fairy Tail now, which means you're part of the family and we protect our own. There's nothing for you to worry about now, because this is a new day for you. I won't hurt you and I never will." The richness of his voice caused me to stop and think carefully about his words, realising that I was being stupid. Loke wasn't my family and neither were anyone else in the guild as far as I knew. I need to toughen up and start acting like a member of Fairy Tail, otherwise all of this fighting and journeying to get here would be for nothing.

"Okay." I said finally, giving him a smile before reaching up and placing my hand in his. Loke's fingers curled around my own and he helped me to my feet before turning and racing down the hill, pulling me with him and I laughed as my hair caught on the wind and the rush of descending the hill went straight to my head.

Loke walked me to the nearest ice cream parlour where we then sat down at a window table and he ordered a scoop of every flavour available with all sorts of different toppings, from popping candy to toffee chunks. "Um…Loke? I should have probably mentioned earlier but I don't have enough money to pay for this…" I said with a heavy blush, looking ashamedly down into my lap as I sat with a perfectly straight back, still a little nervous at being so close to him. A small flutter seemed to rise in my stomach at his presence and it confused me a little as to why I would react this way to someone. Maybe it's his personal charm, perhaps I'm stupidly succumbing to it. Snap out of it Fae! You're better than that!

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I made you pay for anything? Don't worry, this treat is on me." He said to me as he waved a hand and leaned his head back against his arm which curled behind him. With these words a flock of girls seemed to swarm to him like bees to honey, cooing and squealing as they flung themselves around him as much as they could.

"Loke my darling! Where have you been?"

"What a surprise seeing you here, I had no idea that _this_ was your favourite parlour?" The winy voices continued as I just stared in astonishment. It were as if he was a woman magnet! Wow, I hadn't expected anything like this to happen. They sat on his lap, fawned at his coat and stroked his hair. I was still dumfounded as he laughed easily, seeming to accept their advances as I just sat there awkwardly.

"So who's the tramp?" One voice asked coldly and I flinched at the insinuation. That was mean.

"Come on Adele, that wasn't very nice." Loke said though there was a slight edge to his voice. "This is Fae, the latest member of Fairy Tail." He introduced so I gave a nervous smile.

"Hello there everyone, it's nice to meet you all." I said before standing up, making Loke blink in surprise. "I see I'm just in the way here, I'll go now. Thank you for the invitation Loke, perhaps another day." I murmured, giving him a small smile before lifting my head and making to leave. I didn't want to spoil his fun and the other girls clearly didn't want me there threatening their claim, which was fine by me. I should really get to work looking for a place to stay otherwise I might never find-huh?

When a gentle restraint tugged at my wrist I stopped in surprise, lifting my head then turning to look down. Loke held my wrist with his fingers, gently holding me back but not necessarily forcing me to stay. His eyes gazed into mine with that kind smile of his, the light reflecting off his glasses. "I invited you here, not them. Please join me?" He asked me again and I stared outwardly. He still wanted me to stay? But he had all that company, why did he want me to stay with him?

"Oh…okay. If you really want." I agreed hesitantly but before I could change my mind, Loke tugged on my wrist and drew me back towards the table where the other girls had grudgingly left to return to their own tables though they glared continuously at me as I sat down again with Loke, blushing slightly and turned my face away from them.

"Don't worry about them, you just enjoy the ice cream. I promise it's the best and this parlour is the greatest in the entire city." Loke said to me as he leaned against his hand, resting his elbow on the table as a waiter came out and began to serve serving after serving of ice cream scoops placed in fancy glasses, all of them looking absolutely amazing and served with bowls of different toppings.

My eyes sparkled with want, taking a deep breath of the different smells to start deciphering what was what. There was strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate, raspberry, fruit blend, honeycomb and so many more. "Wow!" I breathed, smiling brightly as a spoon was held out to me by Loke.

"Dig in, try them all." He invited so I didn't waste a single moment more. I dove into the closest ice cream to me and found the flavour to be a wonderfully sweet vanilla with chocolate sprinkles. I squealed happily then tucked into the rest, trying them all with studious thought to determine how much I liked each flavour. "You sure look like you're enjoying them." Loke chuckled and I gave him a blushing smile.

"I can't believe I've missed out on this my entire life! I'll have to make up for it now." I told him before taking a bite out of a dark brown coloured ice cream. Instantly my face scrunched up in distaste at the bitterness, causing me to gap and I almost spat it back out but I forced myself to swallow before I quickly covered the taste with the mint chocolate, shuddering with disgust. "Okay…maybe not that one." Loke had seemingly been highly amused by my reaction, laughing with his arms folded across his chest before he smiled to me.

"Guessing you don't like the coffee flavoured one." He said before reaching out and pulling it towards him. I stopped and blinked, watching him as he began to eat it himself. How could he stand the taste? Guessing people's taste vary from person to person.

"Hey Loke? You can eat the others too you know, don't hold back just because I'm trying them." I said to him but he only shrugged.

"I'll eat the ones you don't like, its fine. You help yourself and enjoy it, you deserve it after all you went through. Three months travelling alone and on foot must have been tough." He winked at me and I blushed slightly but not because of the flirtation he was throwing my way.

"But that's not fair on you." I reasoned before taking a scoop out of the vanilla, which was my number one favourite so far, then held it out to him with a determined look on my face. Loke blinked at me then sighed, giving a small chuckle before he leaned forwards and took the sweet treat from my spoon, humming in appreciation before licking his lips. Now I smiled, glad that he wasn't being stubborn. I pushed the ice cream portions further towards the middle and Loke began to pick at his favourites, which were the coffee, rum and raisin, lemon and the chocolate ones. Neither of us really touched the fruity one, which he told me was called tutti frutti, as the flavours were just a little too confusing for my tongue to handle. I preferred solid flavours one at a time.

Once the last of the ice cream had been devoured and the toppings completely consumed we both leaned back against our seats with full stomachs, groaning slightly as the sickness began to settle in. "Maybe we should have tried them one flavour a day." Loke said slowly and I couldn't help but agree. I felt as if I were going to throw up. At least now I should be full for the rest of the day.

"I agree." I mumbled, still tasting the flavours on my tongue and I savoured each taste before exhaling happily. "But this was totally worth it. Maybe I should go exploring the food markets for other stuff I've never tried before. I've always what a cheeseburger was like." Hands suddenly slammed into the table and I yelped, flinging my arms up upon instinct as Loke stared with wide eyes, once again stupefied.

"You've never had a cheeseburger?!" I blushed again before shaking my head. Loke stared at me a moment longer before reaching back and rubbing his head. "What kind of childhood did you have?"

"A sheltered one." I answered as the bill was presented to us. When I saw the price I almost screamed and died on the spot, staring in horror. I had no idea this place was so expensive for such tiny portions! Sure I know we ordered a lot so size hardly mattered, but still! That was over two thousand jewel! "What the hell? There's no way I can pay you back any time soon Loke, I'm so sorry!"

"Hey relaxit's fine. I told you this one was on me so don't worry about it." He assured me with a wave of his hand before paying the bill without a blink of an eye. Huh? Was he super rich or something? Well considering the line of work we're in, I suppose he would be. I remember seeing the reward prices on those posters, there was some serious money in this business.

Standing up I watched as Loke paid the waiter then winked at me, catching me staring so I quickly looked away. Now I felt extremely bad. I didn't think he would have to pay so much for me just so that I could taste ice cream for the first time, so I guess I'll have to find some way to pay him back.

He turned back to me and I saw out the corner of my eye that all his little mistresses were rising to their feet, ready to rush to his side as Loke smiled to me brightly. "So what next? Want me to help find you somewhere to live?" I blinked in surprise at his kind offer before shaking my head and looking down awkwardly at my feet.

"No thank you, I've wasted enough of your time already." I said before giving a polite bow to him, my hands clenched down at my sides. "Thank you for the ice cream, I promise to pay you back someday." With that I stepped aside and the moment I had moved away from Loke, his birds flocked to his side with sweet tweets and cawing, effectively trapping him as I walked for the exit.

He made a sound as if to start protesting but the words failed him as his companions continued to attach themselves to him, pulling him backwards with giggles as I reached out and opened the door. I glanced back over my shoulder to see Loke still watching me, so I smiled for him, perfectly relaxed and oddly at ease. I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am now, and I've only been in this new city for two days. Guess I have Loke and a tonne of ice cream to thank for that.

Turning around I hopped back out onto the street and tossed back my hair, turning my face to the sun with a smile before I took off running to find the agency to find some rooms for sale or rent to look at the price ranges. It took the rest of the morning and some of the afternoon, asking around all kinds of places but one thing was clear. If I couldn't pay the first six months of the rent straight away then they weren't interested in me as a tenant. The cheapest I could find was fifty thousand a month for this rundown place that seriously needed fixing up, but I was confident I could make it work. All I needed to do was take a couple of jobs.

Only thing was, I wasn't strong enough yet to take any of the larger jobs so they will have to wait. However looking at the board I could see numerous smaller jobs that no one else seemed to bother with because the pay rate was much smaller, barely in the thousands but they looked well within my range of capability. There were several that I wanted to take so I picked out one first then took it over to Mirajane to show it to her.

"Oh hello there Fae, how are things?" She asked me with a smile which I returned.

"Great thanks, I was thinking about taking on this job. What do you think? It's low key and perfect for a beginner like me." I began and held it out to her for her to read. It said that there was a lady in need of a wizard to carry some important packages across the city to various people.

"Have you done anything like this before? Are you sure you're up for it?" Mirajane asked me but I only blushed and smiled guiltily at her.

"Not really, but I'm sure I can handle a small job like this on my own, after all it's not too difficult." I assured her so she smiled.

"Okay then, do you want someone to go with you? It might be a good idea just in case, but don't feel you have to. Sometimes people work better alone and if you're still shy then we'll completely understand." Mira offered, handing me back the poster so I nodded my head.

"Thank you, but I'd prefer to do this on my own. They pay is small and I need to start raising the funds for my deposit on a place downtown." I explained to her as I took the poster from her then clenched my hands into tight fists. "So I figured I'd start small, build up a little confidence before I take on something a little bigger."

"Sure thing, not a problem. Have fun!" Mirajane called with a wave as I turned and walked back out of the guild hall, giving a smile and a wave to Levy as I passed her and she wished me luck. The woman wasn't too far away and it was easy enough to get directions however as I stood outside the mansion of a house, I realised that perhaps this was going to be a lot harder than I first expected.

I was shown inside by a rather standoffish butler who didn't even give me his name. The details of my assignment were explained by said butler as apparently I wasn't allowed to see the lady herself as she was far too busy with appointments to discuss the terms of our contract in person. I personally found this rather rude. If you hire someone then you could at least have the decency to show your face.

The list of addresses and parcels were handed over to me inside a leather satchel bag before being shown back to the gate once more, which towered above me in gold. I glanced back over my shoulder to the massive house before sighing. Those upper class brats are all the same. It's almost a little sad.

Looking down at my list I started walking to the first address, seeing that they were being given a ruby embedded gold chalice. Wait…a _gold_ chalice?! Why the hell would this woman give me such an expensive parcel? Was there something wrong with it? Why not send one of her own people to do this task?

The answer to my question came in the form of several brutish looking thieves, all of whom sneered at me as they cornered me in an empty alley I had taken as a shortcut, directed by the fishmonger whom I had passed not two minutes ago. Ah…that's why the lady wanted a wizard to protect her parcels. She was afraid they'd be stolen. But how did they know what kind of treasures I carried? Where they watching the house?

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" One of them crowed as I shifted a foot back, lowering my stance slightly as I looked around me with worry, tensing every muscle in my body in preparation to flee. "Looks like we caught a little fairy in our net boys, look at her tremble!" My narrowed eyes flit over to him as I slowly lowered my stance further to the ground, preparing to spring for freedom.

"Hand over the goods sweetheart and nothing will happen to you, we swear on our lives as honest men." A small chuckle murmured through the group as I glanced upwards. The walls of the buildings either side of me were fairly close together which served me perfectly. "We want those artefacts so give them up or we'll find out exactly how you fairies of Fairy Tail sound when you scream for mercy." With my heart racing too quick for me to count the beats I gathered all my energy then sprung upwards, shooting up into the air with a twist of my body. "WHAT?!"

"Hey get back down here!"

"Don't let her escape!" Their shouts rang in my air as I sprung off the wall and up again until I landed with a summersault on the roof, taking a deep breath to calm myself before flying forwards, feet skimming on the rooftop with my heightened senses listening carefully below. They were tracking me, figures. Perhaps I should have taken the council's poster for an escort to a tax collector. At the time I had thought it sounded like the worse choice. "You're not going to escape us you little brat!"

A smirk played on my lips slightly as I drew even breaths. They obviously did not know who they were dealing with. I was a daughter of the most notorious assassin's guild in all the land and was raised with their ideals and skills. There was no way they were going to catch me, or even find me again once I lose them.

I raced over the roofs with a skilful grace, hands spread wide to maintain my balance before I took a leap for the next building, tucking my knees up into my chest before landing with plenty of space to spare, the rush of excitement powering through my body as I gave a laugh, shaking my head as the thrill continued to pulse with the pounding of my heart.

My feet found a rhythm and I leaped off the end of another building to slide down the slates of the roof, gripping my package tightly before flipping off the edge, my hand snagging a balcony to cut the fall shot then dropped down with a silent ease, glancing around before continuing to snake my way through the market street, blending into the background and hiding in plain sight as I distantly heard the confused calls of the thieves far behind me.

Well that had been a little lacklustre, they could have at least put up a more decent challenge. Men like that I was used to. They were all brawn and no brains and they were not wizards themselves, so they posed very little threat to me. I had been trained and taught to fight from the moment I could walk, both physically and mentally, however my training had been one that had instilled terror where there should have been fearlessness.

I continued my task, dropping off the first artefact at a museum then took a signature for validity before continuing on my way. The rest were handed over either to other rich people or some merchants where I was to secure payment myself, however I was grateful when none gave any trouble and paid in full with real currency which I checked myself before leaving.

The butler seemed rather surprised when I returned at sunset, blinking as I held out the address list with all the signatures and the correct amount of money which he swiftly had checked. "I must say, I did not think you would accomplish the task so quickly. You didn't run into any trouble, did you?"

"None that I could not handle." I answered in a timid voice, taking deep breaths to try and keep myself awake. I was so tired from all that running, I should probably have listened to Mirajane and not overdone it today.

"Very well. Here is your payment." Butler said then tossed me a large purse which rattled when I caught it. I weighed the amount in my hand carefully before looking inside to check that it was real then nodded my head.

"Farewell. Tell your mistress that she may call for assistance any time." I spoke before turning around and leaving. Five hundred jewels, that's all I'd made in one day, but still it was more than I had ever held in my life and I could at least buy myself some new clothes. I can't keep on wearing the ones Mirajane had given to me.

I returned to the guild hall rather tired and surprisingly hungry despite all that ice cream I had eaten earlier. "Fae! Welcome back, how did it go?" Mirajane called out with a wave as I approached the bar, Levy jumping up from her table and jogged over to my side with a smile.

"Yeah Mira told me you'd taken a job this morning, you should have told me, I would have come with you." She said as I took a seat and smiled at the both of them.

"My first payment." I announced proudly and set my reward on the bar front. "It was a breeze, almost too easy but I had fun. Thanks for the offer though Levy, I'll remember for next time." I told her as she smiled, resting her hand on my shoulder.

"That's great! I'm so glad it worked out okay for you." She said as she shifted up onto a seat next to me.

"Hey Mira, do you think you could hold this for me? I've got nowhere to put it yet and I don't want it to get stolen." I requested and Mira nodded her head, taking the pouch and placed it safely under the bar for me to collect later.

"Of course, not a problem. How about something to eat? You're still a little a pale, are you feeling well?" Mira fussed worriedly, reaching out and touching my brow to check my temperature so I smiled for her, assuring her that I was alright but gladly accepted the offer of food. I even had money to pay for it!

"So how does it feel to be a member of Fairy Tail? Do you like it here?" Levy asked me and I nodded my head.

"For sure. It's different to what I expected but I like it all the same." I told her as I rested my arms on the bar side. "I think I'm going to enjoy every moment of my life here from now on."

"I should hope so. It's certainly never boring." Levy said with a chuckle. I noticed that she had a book under her hand, a blue volume that had a picture of a plant on the front, imprinted in silver. A book about herbs and their uses.

"You like books I take it?" I questioned and Levy blushed slightly.

"I'm a little bit of a bookworm, whenever I'm not working or hanging out with Jet and Droy or the others, I have my nose stuck in a book." She admitted. "Do you like reading?"

"I haven't had much of a chance to be honest, I only read what I was allowed to and nothing more than that. What I was allowed to read was material on my family history and weaponry. It was so completely dull I don't know how I managed to survive without any better material. I like adventure stories though, I remember my mom used to tell them to me all the time when I was little every night before I went to sleep." Exhaling softly I closed my eyes and pictured my mother.

We had been exact opposites in every way. Her hair was light and wavy whilst mine was dark and straight. I remember her crystalline blue eyes, so bright and loving with a constant light that glittered from the deepness of her very soul. She had always been tall and rather curvy, a woman of astounding beauty that had not passed on to me, however we had shared the same magic. In the short time we had had together, she had taught me everything I knew but still, it hadn't been enough.

"I'm guessing you had a very controlled childhood." Levy said tenderly as she reached out and placed her hand over mine. "It sounds as if you miss your mother a lot." My fingers clenched tightly underneath hers as I took a deep breath, pushing aside all the grief, anger and remorse deep down inside me so that it would not show.

"Yeah, I do." I agreed before shaking my head. "But she's happy now where she is, so it's okay. I'll see her again someday." From the slightly strained smile on my face I think Levy guessed that my mom was now dead as I could see the slight pity in her eyes before she brightened, deciding to cheer me up.

"Well after you've finished eating, I could show you the library if you like? We've got thousands of books that no one else really reads, so you're more than welcome to help yourself." My eyes brightened at the suggestion, my gasp sharply accented as my eyes widened.

"Really? I can read all I want?" The thought in itself was enough to send me leaping to my feet and grasping Levy's hands in mine. "Come on! Let's go there now, I want to see all the books the guild has and start reading, let's go!" Levy was laughing as Mirajane chuckled also as I pulled Levy away with me.

"I'll have someone bring your food down to you, okay?"

"Thanks Mira!" I called out with a wave before Levy and I ran off together to the library where my entire world was opened with the pages of a book, stories pouring their hearts out to me as I laughed, wept and stared as they shared their secrets with me, Levy sitting with me as I flipped through page after page with these special reading glasses that allowed me to absorb the information much faster than what was ordinary.

I soon came to love books as much as Levy did and long after she had left I had taken off my glasses and set them aside, reading by the amber glow of a light at the normal pace to fully absorb myself in a book of a princess and a dragon who had kidnapped her, awaiting rescue from a handsome prince.

Only when the soft rays of sunlight began to shine in through the windows did I realise that I had fallen asleep in the library, spending the entire night there, however when I stirred I realised that a blanket had been placed over me and my book set on the side with a page marker propping the pages apart where I had fallen asleep.


	4. The Effects of Poison

**Sorry we're moving at a rather slow pace but I want you guys to get to know Fae properly. I know she seems kind of weak, feeble and a little useless right now but I actually based her character off of Wendy's, because she's one of my favourite characters in Fairy Tail, so Wendy was my inspiration for Fae. With that in mind, please bear with me and I promise there will be plenty of character development in future.**

* * *

I took the odd jobs daily as no one else seemed to want them. They took up the majority of my time and gradually my coffers began to fill up with more and more money as I completed the simple tasks requested by the people of the city. Whatever they needed I was almost certain to answer their call, whether it was to fix a wall, fetch a package from a nearby town or clean out the sewer system when it had gotten clogged up in one quarter. I still regretted taking that task as I had smelled incredibly horrible once I had finished and I had taken a very long bath afterwards, scrubbing myself raw with an ointment to help get rid of the scent.

The money added up but not enough to place a deposit on a place in the city, I still couldn't afford a place of my own and I certainly could not afford a dormitory in the guild itself, so I had taken to sleeping out in the open air. At least it was the peak of summer and the nights were reasonably warm. All I had to do was find a roof or somewhere to curl up under my blanket to sleep for the night. Sometimes I fell asleep in the library and each time I awoke, I would always find myself covered in a blanket no matter how late I fell asleep.

Levy and Mirajane became my greatest friends, however Natsu was a completely different story. I had gotten used to the men in the guild and they didn't frighten me anymore except Elfman, who was so big that he made me feel like a tiny insect next to him, but he was rather affectionate and lovable in himself, so I was swiftly relaxing around him as well.

Natsu, though, seemed unable to take a hint. On my second official day of joining the guild he had sprung on me from out of nowhere and challenged me to a battle with fists of flame, making a swing at me and I had instinctively screamed in terror and ran for my life, Natsu chasing me down and yelling. "Hey where you going? Get back here! I still wanna fight you!"

I had run to the person I felt safest around, the one who I instinctively seemed to trust regardless of how scary they looked. Erza. She had just stepped into the hall when I had raced to her side and cowered behind her, shivering in fear as Natsu pounced after me. "That's enough!" She suddenly roared and held out her armour clad hand which Natsu had run into at full force, impaling his own face before he dropped to the floor with a pained groan. "Leave the poor girl alone Natsu, she doesn't wish to fight you." Erza had growled and I exhaled with relief, happily still hiding behind her where I was safe. "Are you alright? You poor thing." She asked with a cute sense of affection which she rubbed into me with her arms about my torso in a painfully bone crushing embrace as she nuzzled my cheek like I was some kind of puppy. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from all harm, you can always count on me."

"I'm fine, thanks Erza." I wheezed, struggling to breathe until she let go all at once and I dropped to the floor like a stone, Erza simply nodding her head with a small smile to me, satisfied with her work before moving off as I closed my eyes in relaxation and stood up just as Gray walked up to us shirtless, smirking down at the downed Natsu who was still twitching on the floor with a handprint marked into his face.

"Well that was stupid."

"Who're you calling stupid?!" Natsu demanded, suddenly leaping to his feet and I blinked in surprise at his sudden recovery. "You wanna take her place icicle? Because I'm all fired up and you're about to taste the heat of a dragon slayer!" He yelled passionately before they banged heads together, Gray starting to make a retort but Erza simply grabbed them by their hair and slammed their heads together with considerable force, making me blink and stare as she then dropped them to the ground, twitching. Remind me not to get on her bad side.

"Play nicely you two or I'll put you on clean up duty for a month." She warned, stepping over them and walking away as Levy drifted to my side, giving a giggling smile before giving a gentle tug on my arm.

"Hey, you okay? Natsu gave you a bit of a fright there."

"Yeah I'm fine." I said, nodding my head reassuringly at her. Hearing the clock chime in the distance I suddenly yelped. "No! I'm late already! Sorry Levy but I have to go, otherwise that old man's going to kill me!" I had promised Old Man Todd that I would help him shift his fish crates from his boat. Great, another job that will leave me smelly. At least Happy was glad with the free fish I'd brought back for him along with a small payment. He'd gorged on the fish to his heart's content after I'd given the rest to Mirajane to contribute to the guild's food stores, Happy drooling on my head as he nibbled my hair in thanks, eyes sparkling as he dreamed of fish.

After that I took the day off to truly relax as I'd been working nonstop for the past two weeks and I felt like I needed a breather. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Loke in a while. Mirajane had told me he had gone out on a quest but surely he should be back by now? I hope he's alright wherever he is. Imagine all the sobbing hearts he'd leave behind if he was killed. No! That's a horrible thought Fae, don't even think that! Loke will come back, he has to. You still owe him for all that ice cream.

My sensitive ears suddenly picked up the sound of someone approaching me so I turned to see Natsu coming towards me with that rather goofy but adorable grin of his, making me start in surprise as he lifted a hand and waved. "Hey! Don't run off okay? I'm not going to challenge you or anything, I just want to talk." He called out to me so I relaxed and smiled to him in greeting.

"Fae! Have you got any fish for me today?" Happy asked as he flew a circle around my head then landed on my back, licking his lips hopefully. "Those fish you brought for me the other week were so delicious!" I chuckled as I rubbed the back of his blue furred head.

"Sorry Happy not today, maybe another time okay?" Happy's face instantly went flat, slipping down my back with a sad whine before falling to the floor, drooling as he dreamed of fish. Poor Happy, now I feel guilty.

"Hey, what's up?" Natsu greeted so I turned to him, my hands locked behind my back as I tapped my toes against the ground nervously.

"Hi Natsu, it's good to see you." I greeted him. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Nah, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for frightening you all those other times. I never meant to scare you." He answered, waving a hand as Happy leaped back onto his feet and saluted.

"Aye sir!" I chuckled, blushing slightly with slight embarrassment, unsure of how to respond.

"Well thank you, it's my fault really. I shouldn't be such a wimp." I shrugged.

"That's not your fault. Hey you ever need someone's head pummelling in, you just send them straight to me! I'll teach them a lesson they'd never forget." That's rather sweet of Natsu, if a little violent. I guess this was his way of saying that he cared. He gave me that adorable wide grin and I chuckled, loosening up a little.

"If there's anyone whose head needed pummelling it's yours Natsu." Gray's voice muttered from behind us and I turned to see him leaning against the tree topless, casually looking down to his feet with his eyes closed. Instantly I flushed with embarrassment.

"Hey put some clothes on man! You're in public!"

"Make me dragon slayer!" Gray flung back and I tensed at the looming battle that was threatening to burst free. Natsu and Gray were as incompatible as stone was to water but they both were powerful enough to do considerable damage to everything around them whenever they fought.

"Oh yeah? Well come on down here and let's see what you're made of! You just never learn, do you Gray?"

"You're one to talk, I'm going to bury you under in an ice coffin and freeze you there so I don't have to ever listen to your stupid voice ever again!" Gray flung back as they charged one another, Happy instantly falling back to my side as I touched a hand to my chest, feeling a nervous flutter of my heart as I began to worry. We were in the park! What was going to happen to all the trees if Natsu sets fire to them? It'll spread to the rest of the forest and there were children everywhere.

"Here we go again." Happy sighed helplessly but I shook my head and narrowed my eyes, taking a deep breath to try and steel my nerves before racing forwards to stand between the two guys as they clenched their fists and aimed to strike at one another.

"Stop!" I yelled loudly and clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the doubly painful blow that I was about to receive as I held my hands out towards them both, trembling all over however when nothing happened, I opened my eyes and looked up. Gray and Natsu stood before me, still poised ready to strike but then they relaxed and turned off their attacks, quenching their magic to then fold their arms across their chests and turn away from one another. I could have fainted with relief. "Please don't fight, not in the park. There are children everywhere and it's just too dangerous for you airheads to get carried away."

"Guess you're right. We'll save this one for later dragon boy." Gray nodded his head in agreement as he pulled his white shirt back on, buttoning it up whilst fixing his eyes on Natsu who turned and shook a fist at him.

"You bet we will! I'm only listening to Fae because she makes sense." He argued with a pout before frowning at Gray. "By the way, why're you here?"

"I knew you were looking for Fae so I decided to follow in case you decided to scare her off again." He answered and I stared at him in surprise. He'd really come all this way out here just to make sure Natsu behaved? I was touched. Truly.

"Thank you Gray, that's so sweet of you." I told him and he tossed me a quiet smile and nodded his head as Happy flew into the air, popping up in my vision as I continued to look at Gray.

"He _loves_ you."

"What?! No I don't! I was just making sure Natsu wasn't being dumb!" Gray defended hotly, glowering at Happy as I giggled.

"It's okay Gray, I know I'm not your type." I assured him with a wave of my hand before jumping up and catching Happy. "You're a funny cat, you know that right?" I questioned before beginning to tickle his belly, making him cry out with laughter as Natsu stood there with his hands on his hips, laughing quietly until I let Happy go. "So what are you guys planning for your next quest? Beast slaying or bandit hunting or something?" I asked them innocently.

"Not too sure, all I know is that we're almost out of food money and we're starving!" Natsu wailed, making me chuckle quietly. Natsu and Happy were always hungry, I don't think I've ever actually seen them at the guild hall without some form of food in their mouths other than when they were fighting.

"Well maybe you should eat less and work more." Gray retorted and I squeaked and held out my hands, hunching my head downwards between them to stop Natsu from sparking off again. Natsu exhaled, quenching his angry reply to fold his arms and simply look away. "Told you…"

"Don't even think about antagonising him." I scolded him sternly, placing one hand on my hip as my ankle length skirt fluttered on the breeze. It was a dark green colour and I wore it with a white blouse and a thick belt which accented the slimness of my waist. "You two are just as bad as each other. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how you've both survived for so long." I shook my head but smiled all the same. "It's rather cute, you know. You two fight like brothers because you obviously care deep down." The two of them looked at one another then recoiled in horror at the thought, making me laugh as I began to walk away from them, lifting my hand to wave in farewell. "I'll see you two around. Try not to destroy anything please? I like this city the way it is, especially the park."

"Bye Fae! Remember to bring me some fish next time you drop by the guild!" Happy called out after me and I turned around, giving a laugh and another wave before continuing to walk through the park. It was so peaceful here and full of laughter, it was one of my most favourite places to be other than the library.

Gray and Natsu both called back a goodbye before I disappeared and I secretly prayed they would hold off their arguing and fighting for when they were back at the guild where no one would fine us for wrecking the place.

As my feet carried me further away from the bustle of the centre of the city, I became more and more in tune with the world around me, the natural order of the earth from the trees to the flowers, reaching out with my senses to hear every slight sound and movement made. It was so peaceful, I truly loved it here. This was the life of pure freedom and I lavished in its existence as if it were my own elixir. There could be no greater joy than this, surely?

My feet suddenly halted as I sensed something far away from me, a small cry that caused me to freeze in place and shiver uncontrollably as my eyes widened. Someone was hurt, I could feel them crawling over the ground outside the city. Their breath was laboured and I could even pick up on the pain that they felt. More so I could hear their quiet pleas for help on the wind as it carried it straight towards me.

"Loke." I whispered in complete horror before shooting forwards like an arrow, darting through the streets and raced outside of the city without once breaking pace. Loke was hurt, I could feel it. His magical energy had been almost depleted and he was in great danger, what the hell had happened to him?! "Loke! Loke!" I cried out desperately, slowing down to allow my senses to register his location before moving towards him as swiftly as I were able. So much for my day off. "I'm coming Loke!"

"Fae?" His weak voice touched my ears and I instantly veered towards it, leaping over several boulders and stopped at the top when I saw Loke collapsed on the ground, resting against a pile of rocks with one hand clutching his side underneath his jacket. "Fae? What…what are you doing out here?" He questioned as my panicked and concerned eyes met his.

"Loke! You're hurt!" I gasped then leaped off the boulders, dropping to the ground then scrambled to his side as he flinched and grit his teeth in pain. "What happened to you? Were you attacked by something?" He gave a weak laugh and a smile, looking into my eyes with an unconcerned ease.

"Try some _things_. I took a job that offered a reward for the capture of this leader of bandits but I underestimated their strength and numbers. Seems they have a wizard of their own that deals out poison magic." Loke gave another pained growl, clenching his side more firmly so I reached out and gently lifted back his coat to see an open wound which reeked of poison, causing me to flinch away in disgust and revulsion. "It's okay, I just need to get back to the guild." Loke murmured but I could tell he was too weak to even move. He'd spent too much of his energy on getting himself this far and I wasn't sure if he would even make it back to the guild alive without immediate help.

Tears filled my eyes as I bit my lip, causing Loke to frown as he shuddered from the pain. "Hey, don't cry. You're too pretty to cry." He whispered with a weakly flirtatious smirk, making me laugh unwillingly as I tried to dry them. "It's alright."

"No it's not alright!" I returned desperately, reaching out and gripping his coat. "Tell me what to do Loke, tell me what you need and I'll get it for you. Herbs? Water? Anything! There _has_ to be something!" As I pressed my eyes shut I felt him reach out and gently cup my cheek, causing me to look back into his eyes.

"I'm glad you're here…Fae." He whispered to me as his eyes began to slide shut slowly, his breathing becoming shallow in my ears.

"No!" I yelled then pushed all fear aside. I have to use my magic to save him otherwise I shall never forgive myself. Even though I hardly knew what I was doing, I was certain that I could by him just a little bit of time, enough so to get us back to the guild. "Hold on Loke, just hold on. I'm going to set this right." I told him firmly then pressed my hand to his wound, pulling his own away to cover it myself.

"Fae…what are…what are you…doing?" Loke questioned breathlessly, slumping further into the rocks as I closed my eyes and focused my energy, pulling my magic forwards and concentrated on what it was that I needed to do. "Fae?" Loke's eyes widened in shock as I glowed a brilliant white, the air rushing around us to cause my hair to flutter around my face as I pressed my eyes shut.

"Absorb." I whispered quietly, praying with all my might that this would work. "Absorb!" My tone hardened forcefully as the magic continued to writhe inside me, still yet uncertain as I picked up the poison in Loke's body, its darkness spreading all across him in black veins, causing him deep pain and suffering. "ABSORB!" With a ringing voice the light suddenly increased and a magic circle appeared before my hand which I had pressed against Loke's chest, pulling dark purple and black acidic ooze from Loke's body which then seeped into my hand, causing me to cry out in a soft whimper of pain as I threw back my head, feeling the burning sensation as it shot up my arm and began to force my heart into overdrive, powering as if I had been struck by lightning.

"Fae no! Stop this!"

"I won't!" I yelled back as the brilliant light around us continued to shine, the roaring of the wind howling in my ears as I gripped onto Loke for support, feeling myself slump forwards into his chest but I forced myself to keep going. It was working, I could feel the poison leaving his system and entering my own. He was growing stronger whilst I was growing weaker, and that was all that mattered. "You don't…don't deserve to die this way…Loke." I whispered then opened my eyes to look up at him, giving him the strongest smile I could. Loke's eyes widened further as he stared at my eyes which glowed a softly radiant gold, much brighter than their usual honey. "I…I still owe you ice cream." I told him weakly with my smile before finally I couldn't continue any further.

The light slammed back into my body and I collapsed completely, gasping for breath as the poison finished entering my own body, burning like a raging fire as I struggled for breath. The pain was horribly intense, focusing on my limbs and chest, making it hard to breathe as I leaned against Loke who tried to push me upright, his hands at my shoulders. "Talk to me Fae, talk to me! Reverse what you just did, I won't let you die for me!" He shouted desperately but I only lifted my head to smile feebly at him again.

"I'm okay, there's still time. My magic was hardly drained, it's the poison that's affecting me really." I murmured with a slight slur to my words, struggling to form a coherent thought so I shook my head. I could try deflecting the poison back out again but I could already tell it wouldn't work. The magic was binding itself to me forcibly, refusing to separate from my own and I could feel my throat begin to swell from the effects of the poison magic. "Come on, let's go." I stated firmly then gripped his arm, pulling it around my shoulder and together we rose to our feet, struggling slightly as we depended on one another.

Of the two of us I was still the stronger one so I took as much of Loke's weight as I could, helping him to stumble back towards the city where we could get the help of our guild. Loke struggled for breath, his eyes half closed but he gripped onto me tightly, his fingers gripping into my blouse as his arm wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer to him. "How did you know where to find me?" He asked wearily, sweat pouring down his face as I forced myself to stay strong.

"I heard you." I answered ambiguously, still fighting against the toxins now surging through my body. I was sure to last longer than Loke would thanks to part of my father's so called training. He'd spent years building up an immunity to poisons in all of his children, however this type of poison had magical properties and I would succumb to it sooner or later. Hopefully later rather than sooner. "Hang on Loke…we're almost there." I whispered as we dragged ourselves back towards the city.

We didn't speak after that, saving our energy for walking. Eventually we passed through the gates but by that time my vision was swimming and I could hardly see where I was going. Oblivious people passed us by or steered well away from us, not wanting to even come near us in our possibly infectious position. "This is why…I dislike…some people…" I muttered under my breath as another woman darted around us, not even bothering to see that we were hurt. Loke gave a weak chuckle.

"I hear you." He agreed before groaning and dropping to his knees.

"Loke!" I winced, falling with him at his sudden weight drop. My limbs felt like they were made from lead or iron and my head was swimming. It were as if I were being crushed between two rocks and I could feel the pressure forcing the air from my lungs, so much so that I just couldn't find the strength to remain upright any longer.

I crashed to the ground limply, startling Loke back awake as he gripped my arm and shook me. "No, no, don't give out on me now…wake up Fae…wake up!" He pleaded before lifting his head and shouting. "Help us! Someone help us dammit!"

"Lo…ke…" My throat was on fire but I fumbled across the ground, forcing air into my lungs as I reached for his hand as it gripped onto my arm. His hands were so hot against my own, no wonder I was shivering. My eyes struggled to lock onto his but I smiled up at his blurry figure all the same. "Thank you." I croaked, trying to grip onto his hand a little tighter but I didn't have the strength even for that. "For being…so nice…I appreciate it."

"Fae…" He breathed as my eyes began to slide shut, feeling a blackness beginning to engulf me. "Fae!" The echo of my name vibrated through the oblivion of my mind as the cold darkness all but consumed my completely, swallowing me back to a place that I prayed I would never again have to face.


	5. Tears of an Angel

**Thanks again to _Mazelover_ and _Kittybear98_ for reviewing, I'm glad you guys are liking things so far! And don't worry, I have plenty of plans for Fae, so she'll be sticking around for a while yet ;) Anyway, enjoy this next part, sorry it's so long but I'm hoping you guys won't mind. Seyonara!**

 **Warning, this content may be distressful to some viewers, proceed with caution.**

 **The song for this chapter is Tears of An Angel by Ryan Dan, I found it the other day and I think it just fits perfectly with this chapter, so please give it a listen whilst you're reading :)**

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 _The hard metal of a ring cut into my lip as the hand flashed across my face, causing a drop of blood to spill but no matter how much it hurt, I forced myself not to cry. Crying was a weakness, and if I showed weakness, then I would be punished further. I cannot be weak, I must be strong._

 _"_ _Pathetic." A demonic voice hissed, red eyes glowing before me as I lifted my head. An invisible wall of shadows slammed into me and I accidentally let out a squeak as I was flung backwards several feet, slamming my small frame into a rock hard pillar which instantly sent a shooting pain through my head as warm blood trickled down the icy coldness of my skin. "Worthless. You are nothing, little brat. Remember that. Your life is meaningless and it will remain that way forever until the day you die. You belong to me and no one else, so stand up ignorant whelp!" That same voice came slithering back into my mind and I knew I could do nothing but obey, so I did._

 _I stood with my head bowed, trying desperately to stay on my feet but I was so dizzy, so tired…how long had this been going on for now? My punishment for speaking out, for defending my own brother against our scholar who had tried to whip him for disturbance but received the punishment in his stead. I did not mind, I wanted to protect my brother, but he had called me an interfering bitch. He had wanted to be punished just to prove his strength. I should have kept my mouth shut, I should have just sat in silence._

 _"_ _If you cannot prove your strength then what use are you to me? I need warriors, elite assassins built and shaped from the shadows themselves. I shall purge you of all light to keep the legacy of this family strong. Look at me, little Fae, tiny fairy child, look at your father." I shuddered at his words, barely able to keep my lip from trembling, however when I looked up into the blood red eyes I knew that he could see the terror in my eyes. "Pathetic."_

 _This time I could see the shadow magic as it formed before him, his finger pointed straight towards me as he roared, sending the attack straight for me as my eyes widened in heightened terror. My scream echoed in my mind, so shrill and unearthly that I hardly believed that I was the one who was creating such a sound._

 _Suddenly a burst of light filled the room and a silhouetted form leaped into the way, throwing out their arms wide to shield me from harm as long, thick tresses billowed out behind them like a glorious cape, shining brilliant gold in the light of their power. My eyes stared at the figure, able to recognise it anywhere as they formed a protective barrier before them, however the shadows cut through and pierced her body through the heart, causing me to scream out once more with tears suddenly flowing down my cheeks like a flood._

 _"_ _MOMMY!" I howled her name to the stars above as she fell backwards, her descent from what looked like the heavens slowed in my disbelieving eyes. No, she can't die, she can't! She's my mommy, I know she's okay, she always says she's okay! "Mommy no! Don't leave me, don't leave me here to die too!" I wailed helplessly as I flung myself at her body but as I looked down I could see my hands stained with red. Bright scarlet. Her blood._

 _"_ _Fae…my…little…angel…" Her voice rasped uneasily, struggling for breath as she turned her beautiful face towards me and lifted a trembling hand. The light was seeping back into her, fading away and allowing the darkness to surround us once more. I shrank away from it, gripping onto my mother even tighter than before as her skin still glowed weakly, though the light was quickly diminishing like that of a fallen star. "Be…brave…" Her hand reached up and brushed against my cheek in the lightest of touches, her skin now as cold as ice as a trail of blood trickled out from the corner of her mouth. "Forgive me..." Even as I screamed for her I watched helplessly as her eyes glazed over and became as lifeless as stone, the smile dropping from her face as her soul was stolen from her body. I watched it rise in bright golden glory myself, watched her leave me with a small breath before all at once, she was gone completely and I was plunged into shadows._

 _"_ _No! Come back mommy, come back! I don't want to be alone, I'm scared of the dark! Please…please! MOMMY!" But no matter how much I begged and cried, no matter how much I screamed to the heavens to give my mother back to me, they did not listen and she did not return. I lost her to the man that I grew to loathe and fear with my entire being. He allowed me to live with the sorrow and pain of loss, never once speaking her name to me and forbade me from doing so too. He moulded me into the perfect assassin, honing my skills to brutal perfection as if I were nothing more than a ghost. A mere shadow of his own creation, as malleable and obedient as the ones he made with his dark magic._

 _The day my mother died a piece of me died with her, something that had been invaluable to me. My spirit. It flew away into the heavens to join her in peace and tranquillity, leaving me alone to face my nightmares with no one there to shield me ever again. I was alone. I was nothing. Worthless…pathetic…weak…_

 _I was dead inside._

 _That is until I heard her calling for me. My mother. In my dreams I could hear her singing my lullaby and I had awakened to tears trailing down my cheeks and briefly seen her face before me, smiling lovingly just the way she had used to, her hand reaching out to caress my hair before she was blown to dust by a single gust of wind._

 _"_ _No! Come back!" I cried out in a whisper, afraid to draw the attention of the guards at my door. My eyes then turned to the open balcony window which overlooked the sea of our castle guild. It was not yet dawn, still a darkened black sea of unrelenting danger and predatory fierceness. "Mom?" I tried again but still no answer came to me, so I exhaled and found myself walking towards the balcony, stepping through the curtains as they whipped back._

 _It would be dawn soon. I wonder what other people will do today in this wide world. Perhaps they will laze away the day under the sun, or go for a walk in their towns. Most likely they will go to work or train at their craft. A simple life, pleasant and nondescript in most cases but still peaceful._

 _The snapping jaws of the waves slammed against the cliff beneath me, trying to tear away at the rock itself. It was ten years to the day since my mother died. I could still envision her blood on my hands as she lay dying before me._

 _"_ _Come to me, my little angel." A voice whispered lyrically on the wind and my head snapped up, seeing her golden form standing out on the open air, wearing a beautiful billowing gown with her hair riding upon the breeze magnificently. "Come, I have missed you."_

 _"_ _Mom!" I cried out and leaped towards her, barred only by the stone that fenced off my balcony. "Mom don't leave me! Come back!" I begged as she held out her hand for me. We could almost reach one another, I could feel the warmth of her fingers as tears blurred down my cheeks. "Mom!" Suddenly the stone wall before me caved and crumbled, the platform I stood on also falling away into rubble and I suddenly dropped with a scream, watching as my mother disappeared from sight above me and I plunged towards the waves below as they fought to reach me first. "MOM!"_

My scream cut itself off as I woke up, sitting bolt upright with wide eyes, staring at the sheets as I gasped for breath and trembled from head to toe. It was only after a moment I felt someone's hand on my shoulder and realised that they were talking to me.

Looking towards them I frowned, my vision still painfully blurred but as I waited and calmed my mind, I opened my eyes once more to find Loke sitting beside my bed, looking at me with concern. "Hey there princess." He murmured gently, lifting his hand from my shoulder to brush his thumb against my jaw. "There's no need to worry now, you're safe. We got that poison out of you in time, they were just nightmares. You're safe here Fae."

"L…Loke? What happened?" I mumbled, touching my head to my face as I continued to shiver. "How did we…?"

"Levy and her boys found us. Jet carried you back here with his speed and Levy found the antidote for the poison and I've healed up just fine." He gave me a smile as I sighed with relief. Well, at least my plan had worked. Loke was okay and that was all that mattered. He was bandaged and looked a little beat up still, but I'm not surprised considering the state he was in. "I owe you my life Fae, you saved my neck back there."

"It was nothing." I answered quietly but then Loke snatched my wrist, drawing my eyes back to his as his features hardened fiercely.

"It was _not_ nothing. You used absorption magic to draw the poison out of me and into yourself, doubling its effect. You could have died Fae, it was both reckless and downright dangerous! Do you have any idea how it would make me feel if you had died because of me? I would have never forgiven myself!" His voice was hard and a little louder than his usual casual drawl so I could tell he was angry, but by this point I was beyond caring.

"I'm sorry. Next time I won't bother." I answered before flinging out my hand to break his hold over me before throwing back the sheets to lift my legs out of the bed.

"Oh no you don't, where do you think you're going?" Loke demanded, placing a firm hand on my legs to try and push me back down onto the infirmary bed but I brushed him off with a hand against his shoulder and moved him aside as I stood, walking barefoot towards the door. "Fae stop! You're still weak from the poison, you need to rest!" Loke called out after me as I pulled open the door and stepped out into the cold hallway.

"I'm fine." My head was bowed, casting a shadow over my eyes as I walked emptily away. That memory still burned fresh in my mind no matter how much I wished I could forget it. My mother had died to protect me and I had done nothing to try and save her, not even attempting to close her wounds like she had done for me on so many occasions. She had been so powerful in my eyes, but after that incident, I had realised that she was weak in comparison to my father. He had cut through her shield like a sword cuts through flesh. Cleanly and efficiently to draw the blood of the victim.

My feet carried me out of the infirmary and into the guild hall where it lay quiet and empty for the night which had settled in thickly. It was strange seeing it this way but I was glad for it too. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

Pulling open the oak front door I listened to its throaty creak before walking out into the pouring rain, taking a deep breath of the misty dampness as it instantly soaked me through to the bone but I welcomed it freely, allowing it to cleanse me as I continued walking barefoot through the cobbled streets, my feet barely making a sound even in the dripping puddles.

My fists were clenched tightly at my sides as I fought to maintain control over myself. I cannot cry over mom. She's dead and crying won't bring her back. You grieved and cried for her over a decade ago, so there's no point in crying now! Why can't I just forget about that day and every day since then? I want to forget about the nightmares and the darkness, to forgo all memory of pain and abuse to be left with nothing but her sweet glowing smile and loving words as she combed through my hair and whispered stories of heroic women into my ear. I wanted her _back_.

"ARGH!" The bellow suddenly ripped from my throat and I dropped to my knees and pummelled my fists into the ground, shoulders racking with small sobs as I cried once more for my mother. I truly was pathetic. I couldn't save her, I hadn't been able to bring Loke back to the guild by myself so what was I good for? Nothing.

The pattering of rain washed away all evidence of my tears as I drew in deep breaths and turned to sit upright, facing the canal as the ripples speckled its distorted surface and I placed my legs over the side, dipping my toe into the water to trail patterns as a means of distraction. By now I was shivering from the cold, however as I hugged my arms to myself, something warm and dry was placed around my shoulders and I turned quickly to look, only to find a green duffel coat had been wrapped around me. "You need to stay warm." His voice was a gentle whisper in my ear.

"Loke." My eyes turned to find him sitting next to me, an understanding and comforting expression on his features as he lifted the hood to cover my head, shielding me completely from the rain. The warmth of his coat instantly drew me further into it and I wriggled my arms through the sleeves, taking a deep breath before lowering my head further. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I was the one being a jerk. You woke up from a nightmare and I didn't comfort you like I should have." He answered warmly, reaching out and running the back of his finger up and down my cheek to find my tears as they continued to slip free. "You dreamed about your mother, didn't you? I heard you calling for her." The question hung in the air however I remained silent for a moment, reluctant to answer before finally I sighed, unable to hold it within me any longer.

"She died right before my eyes when I was only nine years old." I murmured, unable to look Loke in the eye. Instead I focused on the water as the continuous rain marred my reflection, making it easy for me to focus without looking at something I didn't want to see. "I watched the light fade from her eyes and there was nothing I could do to save her." A tiny sob escaped me as I clenched my fists in my lap, struggling to keep my voice from shaking. "And what's worse, _I_ was the reason she died. It was because of me I lost her! She tried to shield me with her magic from an attack, but he was too powerful. He cut right through the shield and then straight through her. I can still remember the…the…the blood…and me s-screaming…" Suddenly a pair of arms engulfed me and I was pulled into a solid chest.

I was momentarily stunned by Loke's move but then it all gushed from me in a river of tears as I turned into him, my fingers gripping into his soaked shirt as he tensed his arms around me in a long needed embrace. It were as if he were absorbing the pain and grief from me and into himself. With each tear I felt myself grow lighter like the chains that bound me had been struck away and I was now liberated. "I'm here now." Loke murmured to me gently. "You don't have to hide away your grief any longer. Your mother was a courageous woman and I can see that you and she were very alike. After all, who else would be willing to take poison from a guy they barely knew whilst knowing full well that the potency would be twice as effective?"

"Brave or…or just…plain…stupid." I muttered through my sobs, making Loke laugh as he drew me closer still.

"Her sacrifice wasn't in vain, Fae. She would want you to live your life to the fullest and not hide away in the shadows. Be brave, Fae, that's what she would have wanted for you." His words struck me like a thunderbolt and I gasped slightly, my eyes flying open to stare into his chest before I looked up at him. "You're not alone, you have Fairy Tail now and that means you'll never have to carry any burden on your own. We're all here to help lift and carry one another like a real family should, and you're one of us." Tears began to fall once more but this time, they were for a whole other reason.

My cracked and broken heart was warmed by his words and the warmth seemed to meld the cracks back together, filling them with a healing substance which smoothed away every scar until I felt newly whole. "Loke…" I murmured, unable to think of what to say so I just gripped onto him a little tighter, slipping my arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He answered with a light chuckle. "Now as much as I'm enjoying holding a beautiful woman in my arms, can we please get out of the rain? I don't want to catch a cold on top of all these injuries, Mirajane will kill me otherwise and then bring me back to life to kill me again if she finds out you're ill too." I chuckled lightly, pulling back from him so that he could stand.

"Mira wouldn't do that, she's way too nice." I returned as I took his offered hand and stood up with his help. He was right, the poison had weakened my body and I was starting to feel the effects now that I was more awake than I had been before.

"True. So where's your house? I'll take you back there to rest, or if it's too far we can go back to the infirmary?" I stiffened slightly then blushed, biting my lip with embarrassment.

"Well…actually you see…um…I don't…really…" I exhaled, hanging my head in shame. "I don't have a house." Loke was silent for a moment, staring at me.

"You don't have a…so where have you been staying all this time? In the guild?" I shook my head then looked up to the roofs of the city buildings, biting my lip again. Can't stay up there tonight. It's completely waterlogged. Loke smacked a hand to his face. "Please tell me you haven't been sleeping on roofs whenever you haven't been in the library."

"Well I can't really afford the guild fees and no one will let me take a room without a deposit and…wait…how do you know I sometimes sleep in the library?" Now Loke blushed, guiltily rubbing the back of his head.

"I check on you sometimes when Levy goes home early, just to make sure you're okay. She asked that I put the blankets around you if you're asleep if she isn't there to do it herself." So it was both Loke and Levy? These guys were just the greatest, I honestly didn't know what I did to deserve such great friends. "But anyway back to the point! You mean to say that you've been sleeping on rooftops for the past _two weeks_ instead of asking for help." I blushed. Heavily.

"Guilty?" I offered meekly to Loke sighed then took my hand.

"Come on, you can stay at my place for now. It's closer than the guild and I'm not quite in the right state to carry you all the way back because you look fit to drop, if you don't mind me saying." He tossed my back a mischievous smirk as I frowned at him suspiciously.

"Your place? But won't people get stupid ideas if they find out I slept at… _your_ place?" I didn't let him miss my hint but he just grinned wolfishly at me.

"So? They'd never know and it's only temporary. Besides, you can trust me! I promise I'll be as gentlemanly as possible." He assured me and I had to admit, I did fall for that rather alluring smile of his like a simpleton. Snap out of it Fae, concentrate here. It's just the one night but after that it's a strictly no go area! Not under any circumstances okay?

Loke led me away from the canal and to a street of similar looking houses, all of them neatly aligned with perfect facades. Loke lived here? Sure enough he stopped at one of them and slipped a hand into one of the coat pockets that I wore, giving me a wink as he put an arm around me to pull me closer then withdrew a key, unlocking the door then allowed me to step inside first. "Ladies first." He gave a little push with his hand on my back so I stepped forwards and the moment he flicked on the lights, the lamps ignited with tiny flames and I was met with a rather luxurious living room but now overly extravagant. If anything it was homely.

There were wood beam ceilings and a white wash painted on the walls between the beams that ran down the side with a cobblestone fireplace filled with logs ready to be lit. There was a red sofa opposite the fire, a white furred rug separating the two with another red armchair sat a little closer to the hearth. My eyes then wandered to the desk where pots of ink, quills and paper lay neatly arranged on the obviously expensive setting but I was specifically drawn to the large bookcase tucked in the corner with various sized volumes, my fingers itching to get my hands on them to read every page cover to cover.

The floorboards were polished and didn't even creak underfoot as I stepped further inside, glancing up the stairs then looked across the front room to see an entrance arch into the kitchen which, from my viewpoint, looked just as neat and modern as the rest of the place as I could see. "Here, you need to get dry and warm up." Loke said softly, taking the coat from my shoulders and hung it up. "Come on, you should have a bath, it'll warm you up faster and then you can sleep for as long as you like." I was too tired to argue so I simply nodded my head and let him take my hand once more to lead me upstairs.

I was shown into the bathroom where a deep basin tub awaited and I almost moaned with gratitude. Warmth. Hot water and soapy bubbles…I'm so cold I'm practically chattering my teeth off. "You need help getting undressed?" Loke questioned suggestively so I flicked his ear.

"No thank you." I enunciated each word to make my point clear. "Now shoo, some things are meant to _stay_ private." My small grin gave me away so Loke chuckled, brushing my hair back from my face in a friendly gesture before moving towards the door.

"Keep the door unlocked, I promise I won't come in but if you faint whilst in the bath, I'd rather not break down the door coming to rescue you." He said, throwing another wink over his shoulder. "And if that does happen, I promise not to look."

"Are you what the ladies call a typical knight in shining armour?" I asked him with a serious expression, not quite understanding that he was actually flirting with me. At least I didn't reciprocate otherwise I'd be in a whole lot of trouble if he thought I was encouraging him. "The kind that saves helpless maidens from danger whilst secretly seeking your own reward?"

"Of sorts. At least you're not helpless, so you hardly need me, princess." He winked again before closing the door behind him. I waited a moment, listening to hear his footsteps walk away before stripping of my clothes. The skirt and blouse I rested across the rack close to the pipes to dry them off then pulled a towel from the cupboard to place it on the seat next to the bath as I ran the hot water. I didn't wait for it to fill, instead I stepped inside and groaned as the heat flooded to my body, instantly refreshing me from the aching weariness and I relaxed into the steam.

I wanted to stay there forever, however as the water reached halfway I turned it off, not wanting to waste Loke's water then sunk further under its silky caress, curling up as I stroked the water into my palm, unconsciously drifting in limbo as my eyes slowly slid shut.

My tranquillity, however, was rudely awoken when Loke banged his fist on the door. "Fae! If you don't answer me then I'm going to have to come in!"

"Wait no! Don't! I'm awake!" I yelped, splashing as my limbs jerked into a disarray, causing me to splash water everywhere before I groaned. Now I have to get out. Too bad, I would have liked to have spent a little longer in there but oh well. I must have dozed off though because I was now rather shrivelled like an old prune.

I wrapped the towel around me then let loose my hair from the bun I had twisted it up into so that it fell thickly across my shoulders. Wait, what should I wear now? I can't wear my clothes, they were still wet. "Fae? You scared me a moment there. You didn't answer at first."

"I'm sorry." I said as I walked over to the door and leaned against it. "I only dozed off for a few minutes at most."

"So long as you're okay, I have some clothes here for you to change into. I'm sorry they won't be a perfect fit but it's better than nothing." I could hear the teasing tone in his voice so I rolled my eyes before opening the door.

At first Loke balked, clearly surprised that I'd just open the door for him but then he stared, causing me to frown back at him in confusion. What? What was he looking at? His eyes travelled across my shoulders and down to my legs as I gripped the towel to me tightly, knowing that it didn't really cover my legs very well. "Sorry, I just…here." Loke said quickly, looking away as he held out the clothes so I took them in one arm.

"Thanks Loke." I said gratefully then closed the door gently once again. Once I was dry I pulled on the flannel shirt and sleeping shorts, tying the elasticated waist in tightly to keep them from falling before stepping back outside, crossing my arms over my chest with embarrassment as I swallowed nervously and stepped towards the only other door on the floor. That must be Loke's room.

Don't be nosy Fae, just let the poor guy sleep. He's just as tired as you are so you can nose around in his room tomorrow once you're both better rested. With this resolve firmly set in my mind I padded back towards the stairs to head for the sofa but I was stopped when a hand reached out and touched my arm. "Where do you think you're going princess? Your chamber is this way." Loke murmured in my ear then lifted me up into his arms, making me squeak and cling onto his neck instinctively as my eyes widened in panic.

"Loke! You're hurt! Put me down right now!" My flushed cheeks and flustered voice made him chuckle as he carried me into his room, kicking the door open with his foot.

"I'm not _that_ hurt as to be unable to carry a small frame like yours just a few feet to bed. Relax, don't worry about me, just worry about yourself." He smirked at me as I blinked at him then looked around his room. Compared to downstairs, the room was fairly simple.

There was a closet and a set of drawers, a plain rug on the floor and a four poster bed jutting out all the way to the centre of the room with thick drapes pulled back around it and from the moonlight that streaked in through the windows it all looked rather pleasant and comfortable. "Now you go to sleep, little princess." His words whispered silkily into my ear and I hummed in answer, lulled by the tone of his voice as he lay me gently down on his bed, slipping his arms away as I curled up into a tiny ball, Loke placing the warm covers over me. "I'll be downstairs if you need me. Sleep well Fae."

I gave an inaudible mumble of a reply which Loke chuckled at before his fingers began to run through my hair. Instantly I stiffened at the motion, my eyes flying open to stare outward as the soothing sensation sent me shooting back over ten years to hear her musical voice humming to me quietly, the comb running through my tresses.

Loke pulled away without another word and drew the curtains across the window to block out the light, however as he did so I shot bolt upright in the bed. "No! Please don't…I can't sleep in the dark." I whispered fearfully and Loke stopped, looking at me before nodding his head.

"Okay, I'll leave the curtains open for you. Sleep well Fae, I'll see you tomorrow." He promised before leaving the room. Strangely I felt colder when his presence was further away from me. What was stranger still was that I wanted him back with me, with his arms holding me close where I felt safe. Even stranger than that, I can't seem to stop this strange tickling feeling in my stomach whenever I thought about him.


	6. Child Snatchers

**Boom! Next chapter is up and running, hope you all enjoy it, it's rather long so get stuck in! :) Thanks to _Mazelover_ for the review!**

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My eyes fluttered open as sleepy rays of sunlight touched my face, warming my cheeks and rousing me from sleep. I stretched out on the comfortable bed, taking up most of the space quite happily before curling back into a ball again, yawning sleepily as I tucked one arm under the pillow and the other around my face.

"You look adorable when you sleep, princess." A voice suddenly mused and I yelped loudly, leaping wildly and flaying my arms as I tumbled from the bed in a mass of twisted covers, my head hitting the bedside table with a thud and I groaned at the impact. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Loke laughed comically as I peeked out from under the covers to glare at him. "I brought you some breakfast, I figured you'd be hungry."

My stomach betrayed me with a loud rumble so I blushed and nodded my head, untangling my legs from the catastrophic mess so that I could stand up and brush myself off. "Sorry, I'm not much of a morning person." I said feebly, bowing my head to hide the fact I was blushing from Loke as he chuckled again.

"Me neither, but I figured I should be a good host and bring my guest breakfast in bed." He lifted the tray that he was carrying and I looked down to see a plate of freshly made pancakes with butter and syrup with a glass of juice and a purple carnation resting before it.

"Loke…that's so sweet, thank you." I said to him softly, reaching out to take the tray then set it down on my lap as I took a seat on his bed. "I'm sorry I kicked you out of your own bed last night."

"The couch is rather comfortable so I wasn't bothered, I'm just glad you slept well." Loke answered, going over to the window and looking up into the sky. "Looks like it's going to be another hot day. It's already warm." I chewed the food in my mouth and was pleasantly surprised by how good this stuff tasted. Looks like Loke has all kinds of talents. "So what are your plans for today?"

"I figured I'd just do some more jobs around the city. There was one I saw yesterday where they were after a combat specialist to help train some soldiers for a week as their own instructor is going on vacation and they haven't been able to find a replacement. It's a good paying job and should be easy enough." Loke looked at me with a slightly disbelieving and amused expression, quirking his eyebrow upwards.

"You're a combat specialist?" He questioned me and I nodded my head, looking away as I tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Yeah, I've been training ever since I was little. I held a sword before I ever held a pen."

"Really? That surprises me. If you're that accomplished in combat and magical skills, then why do you always hide behind Erza whenever someone tries to challenge you to a fight?" I gave a weak shrug in reply, settling for just eating my breakfast whilst unconsciously looking down to the flower that Loke had placed on the tray alongside the food. It was such a tiny gesture but it meant more than he could ever understand. Loke and the guild had shown more kindness to me in such a short amount of time than I have known in most of my life.

"Loke?" I questioned quietly and he looked over at me as I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his. "Why are you so nice to me?" I think he was puzzled by my genuine confusion as he frowned at me deeply before pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose and walked over to me, sitting down on the bed at my side with his hand almost touching mine.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't really know me. I'm just a stranger yet you're so kind and thoughtful to me. Why?" He gave a shrug, tilting his head backwards to look up as he exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

"Because you're a nice person Fae and I want you to be happy here." He explained, turning to look at me with a solemn expression. "And you did save my life. You were willing to sacrifice your own in order to keep me alive and that's something I just can't ignore. I'm your debt." Loke reached out with a hand and slowly moved my long hair back from my face to expose my cheek and neck, sliding it behind my ear neatly as I kept my eyes fixed on my breakfast before me. "I promise I'll repay you somehow." A small smile tugged on my lips.

"Well, this breakfast is a pretty good start." We shared a light laugh and I closed my eyes, enjoying the sound of his rich tone before I sat a little further back to fully enjoy the breakfast. It's apparent that I have a big sweet tooth because everything sugary that I try I simply love. Levy is still regretting introducing me to candyfloss as it was all I had wanted for the rest of the week until I then discovered the candy store. After that she'd had to drag me out of there after I'd spent three hours deliberating over which ones to try. If I wasn't so broke then I'd be spending all of my money on that store, trying every single thing in those sweet jars until my teeth fell out.

Loke didn't disturb me again, instead going back to the window to look outside, however just as I finished the pancakes and had mopped up the last of the syrup with my finger I heard a distinct calling coming from outside, a shrill shrieking that made me wince as it stung my ears before I stood up, carrying the tray with me. "I'm guessing your fan squad are here." I said with light amusement, my tone almost like a purr as I began to walk towards the door so that I could put the tray and plate away.

"Yeah, duty calls." He answered a little distantly, shrinking back a little from the shadows so I glanced his way but said nothing. Maybe they get a little too much for him sometimes. I know I'd feel the same way if I had a group of squealing idiots following me around like lapdogs. I took the tray downstairs into the kitchen and washed everything up before putting it away.

I held onto the flower though, looking for a vase of some kind to put it in water however as I reached for a glass to place it in, a hand reached out and placed over mine to still my actions. "You keep it." Loke said to me sweetly in his lyrical tone, gently taking the carnation from my fingers to then slide it into my hair above my ear. "It suits you princess." He murmured and I shot him a suspicious look, wondering if he was trying to flirt with me.

"Thank you Loke, I truly am grateful for all that you've done for me." I said as I took the clothes that he had brought down for me. At least they were dry now. I'd hate to have to explain to everyone at the guild why I was wearing Loke's clothes.

"Just doing my duty, rescuing beautiful princesses is a full time occupation for a handsome knight in shining armour such as me." He said, giving me a wink as he snapped his fingers. Yeah, he was flirting. The fact that he was made me laugh and shake my head, touching the flower behind my ear before drawing it out and handing it back to him.

"I'm no princess Loke, so maybe you should give this to one of your lady friends outside. I'm sure it'll make their day." I said to him gently but then leaned a little closer, resting my head against his shoulder in a brief embrace before I moved on past him. "I should go, there's a lot of work to do today." There was silence behind me for a moment so I assumed Loke lost interest, however just as I reached the stairs I heard him come running after me.

"Hey wait! What about tonight? Where are you going to sleep if you don't have a place of your own?" He questioned me as he rested his hand on the banister, looking up at me intently as I arched an eyebrow then pointed to the roof.

"Where I've always slept." Loke gave a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at me.

"You can't sleep on the roof of a building, Fae. You'll catch a cold or something, or worse get attacked in the night."

"But I've been sleeping on roof buildings for the past four months ever since I started travelling. It's not so bad and I get the most amazing view of the stars. They help me to sleep without…" I trailed off and gave a carefree shrug, feigning disinterest but Loke still wasn't convinced.

"You could always stay here. I wouldn't mind and you don't have to pay me anything. Just until you get somewhere of your own and I promise I won't bother you. You can have the bedroom and I'll sleep down here." Loke offered but I only smiled at him.

"That's not fair to you, Loke. This is your house and I have no right to come barging in here taking over. Besides, it's not exactly…shall we say…appropriate. If people see me entering and not leaving until the morning, my reputation will become quite tarnished." I gave a dry chuckle. "Not that I care, but I care about what people may say about you. I know gossipers can be quite rude so I don't want that for you." Loke's expression softened at my words, gazing up at me warmly before he took a step up towards me.

"Better you're safe and warm. I understand if you don't want to stay here princess, but at least talk to Levy or someone who could share a room with you." Loke suggested and although the idea was sensible, I didn't want to impose on anyone else either.

"I'll be fine." I promised him lightly as I turned and head into the bathroom so that I could change.

"That's beside the point, Fae!" Loke called after me but I didn't answer him after I'd closed and locked the door. I felt better after changing into my long skirt and blouse as they were something I was now used to wearing, and although Loke's clothes were just as comfortable to wear these didn't fall off me like curtains.

Giving a twirl I giggled childishly as my skirt flared outward prettily then fixed my hair so that it was pulled back from my face, but as usual some stray locks fell down to frame my face and I couldn't be bothered to try and force them back into the ribbon I wore. Time to try and find some work. Maybe I should think about taking on a more challenging job for a better price. After all, this deposit isn't going to save itself.

Stepping outside I took a deep breath and listened, still hearing the cheering girls from outside. Well the front door is out, if I let those girls see me then I'll be skewered meat in moments as a result of overactive hormones and hasty conclusions. Looks like I'll be taking the back exit. I hadn't seen a back door but there was a window in the bedroom large enough for me to slip out of without being seen.

I could smell and hear Loke downstairs in the living room and I contemplated going down to thank him again but then I heard the sharp crack of the door being forced open and the bright screams of girls as they rushed inside. Hell! I need to get out of here right now!

Quickly I slipped out of the bathroom and ran to Loke's room as the girls all started to witter and talk nonsensical things downstairs as Loke laughingly tried to calm them down. I trod as lightly and quietly as I could, stealing over to the window and opened the shutters to look down into the back street where it was quiet and deserted so I slipped my feet out then sat on the edge, looking down at the rather large drop.

"Hey, how come you slept on the sofa? Is there someone upstairs?" One of the girls asked and my head snapped around to hear the other girls gasp. "Do you have someone else here Loke?!"

"Who is it? Are you cheating on us?" As much as I don't like to be rude, but these girls must be very shallow indeed. "I'm going upstairs to check, you better hope we don't find anyone Loke!"

"Ah come on, what's the big deal if there is?" Loke tried to argue smoothly but I could hear the stampede of feet thundering up the stairs. Here goes nothing. Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and pushed myself off the side, giving a tiny squeak as the rush of air met me and my hair flew upwards as I fell down to the ground.

I spread my arms wide and bent my knees ready for the impact, making it as light as possible as my skirt gave a soft rustle the moment I settled, my bare feet landing on the smooth stone streets without so much as a tingle. Well at least I didn't get hurt. "The window is open! Quick and check to see if someone jumped out!" I bolted from that place. As much as I would have simply _loved_ to have met all of Loke's girlfriends, I was a little busy and I liked my face the way it was. I don't want a bunch of jealous fan girls chasing me down in vengeance for supposedly taking their boyfriend away from them.

My feet carried me light and swift, leaving the street before the girls had even looked out the window. Once I was sure I was safe I slowed down to a walk and enjoyed the peacefulness of the early morning as I head back to the guild.

There was a slight skip to my walk as I spread my arms and pranced on the canal edge, chuckling to myself as I began to twirl and dance precariously though the bargemen on the river chuckled and some even whistled flirtingly so I would wave back at them with a smile in a friendly manner before continuing. I'd never really had much of a chance to be a child before now so I was making up for it with every second I had.

I was a fairly good dancer being naturally graceful and lyrical, all I was missing was the music. My mother had loved to dance, I remember that she would dance all the time and make me join her. She could sing too, her voice had been one that I had thought nothing less than magical, often singing me back to sleep whenever the nightmares refused to leave me. It's been years since I've sung anything, I'm not even sure I have any song left inside me.

"Hey Fae! You're up early considering what happened yesterday. How're you feeling?" Levy called as I entered the guild and we smiled to one another as I went to join her at the table where she had several books spread before her, doing some research for a quest she was going on with Jet and Droy.

"I'm fine thanks Levy, nothing to worry about." I assured her, leaning against the table as Jet and Droy began to argue over who was Levy's favourite, making me chuckle. "How long has this been going on?"

"About an hour. They won't listen to me when I tell them that they're both my favourites." She giggled, closing a book before her and taking off her glasses. "Do you want something to eat? Mira's already in the kitchens if you're hungry."

"No thanks, I better skip breakfast today just in case." I said and Levy nodded in understanding. In truth I wasn't hungry at all. Loke's pancakes were rather filling. "So what you up to this time?"

"Oh our client is looking for this rare type of plant and I'm just reading up on it so we can make sure we get the right kind. Apparently it's very difficult to differentiate from other herbs and plants that grow in the same region so I'm just ensuring we don't make any mistakes." She told me before holding up her book to show me a picture of a flower with petals which looked like the wings of a hummingbird, a long and bright red stigma and blue tipped leaves.

"Looks pretty individual to me." I mused but then Levy held up other books open at pages with various similar looking plants of different sizes, shapes, colours and properties. "Oh, I take that back."

"Uh huh, it's tricky but I'm sure we'll be okay." Levy nodded in agreement. "We're leaving soon, actually, once I've finished the rest of these books about the habitat around the area and how to take care of the plant once we uproot it."

"Well good luck. Hey you two! Stop fighting each other and make sure you look after Levy for me." I gripped their heads and smacked them together, taking a leaf out of Erza's book only I didn't hit them quite so hard, just enough to get their attention. After they'd blinked off the shock they twisted around in their seats and grinned at me with a thumbs up.

"No problem Fae, she'll be safe with us." Jet assured me.

"Yeah, we'll make sure nothing happens." Droy agreed and I nodded my head in satisfaction as Levy gave a sweet chuckle, shaking her head before returning to her books. Suddenly a shape leaped on me from behind and I shrieked, throwing my hands in the air as someone caught my waist and lifted me clean off the ground.

"Come on Fae! You and me are gonna teach that idiot Gray exactly who rules this town!" Natsu's obnoxiously loud voice yelled and I relaxed instantly as I identified it was just him.

"Natsu! You know not to just jump on me like that." I scolded him, wriggling to try and escape his grip but he held me pretty securely to his shoulder as he spun around and pointed at Gray who for once had his shirt on.

"You hear that Gray? Me and Fae are gonna kick your butt into the next century!"

"Oh really? Well bring it on. I can take the both of you with my eyes closed." He answered, rising to his feet and dismissed his shirt, making me blush and clap a hand over my eyes.

"Gray! Clothes!" I yelled to him as Natsu then tossed me onto my feet, making me stumble with a wail, arms flailing and I would have fallen if Happy hadn't caught me, his wings giving a gentle flap to lift me back on balance.

"Careful Natsu! You almost hurt Fae!" Happy called out but Gray and Natsu were already clashing heads, glaring at one another before they both sprung back and swinging their fists at one another and launching attacks. As always the fight was pretty quick to break out and I heard Levy yell as someone crashed into her table, sending her books flying all over the place. "Wow, this is pretty early for a fight. I don't think they've ever started before noon before." Happy said to me as he landed in my arms and I hugged him to me for comfort as I stood among the fighting, flinching back whenever someone came too close to me with a swinging fist or flying kick.

"Yeah, maybe Natsu's just a little grouchy because he hasn't eaten yet." I agreed. Natsu was more temperamental when he was hungry and even I could hear his stomach growling underneath the shouts and yells of the people all joining the fight as well as the smashing and crashing of breaking objects.

"You punk! I'll teach you to mess with me!" I heard Gray yell and I turned my head to see him send an ice attack straight at Natsu who sprang upwards to dodge before sending multiple fire blasts at Gray. If they keep this up then they'll set the entire joint on fire then freeze it over forever. Even Mirajane looks worried, calling out and desperately trying to get everyone to stop. Where was Erza when you needed her?

"Uh…Fae? You might want to move!" Happy suddenly yelled then gripped onto my shirt to lift me backwards as Jet was flung towards us, missing me by inches as Happy lifted me up into the air to safety then dropped me down closer to the bar where Cana continued to drink her beer casually, unbothered by the fight that was going on behind her.

"Thanks Happy, I owe you a fish. Remind me later, okay?" I gasped with relief and he beamed at me, punching the air happily with a cheer.

"Aye sir!"

"Oh my, this is getting a little out of hand." Mirajane worried, watching as her brother took a double punch from Gray and Natsu straight to the jaw, throwing him backwards but he only bounced right back to his feet and yelled, transforming his arm into a metal limb to then swing it straight back at them, catching Natsu in the gut as Gray managed to leap out of the way. "Erza's out on a quest and the master still isn't due back from the council until tomorrow."

"So basically we're screwed." I concluded before sighing. "Well, guess I'll give it a go." Shrugging my shoulders I took a deep breath to calm myself before walking forwards straight into the fray, Happy and Mira yelling for me to come back in unison whilst Cana just watched with a quirked eyebrow, curious to see what I would do.

"This is gonna end right now you jerk!" Natsu bellowed at Gray as they both built up their attacks, facing off one another.

"You're the one that's going to end Natsu Dragneel and I'm going to make it a sweet experience for myself!" Gray yelled back and then together they sent their attacks forwards. "Ice Make Lance!"

"Fire Dragon Roar!" The two elemental magic attacks came soaring forwards and I leaped into the way, my heart pounding as several voices cried out in horror and warning but by that time it was too late. I lifted my hands outward so that I stood like a tree, closing my eyes as I drew in a steady breath, the roaring of fire and hissing of ice ringing in my ears among the cries of my name.

"Absorb!" My voice was smooth and oddly encouraging to myself as I could hear no fear. At my words I felt a surge of magical energy flow through my body and a light glow surrounded my, emanating from my own skin with a rush of air snatching at my clothes and hair, making them rustle as my palms formed two magical circles no bigger than my hands. The two attacks were drawn straight towards me despite their original path, drawn in by my own power and the moment they both flowed into my own body, I gasped at the sudden surge of incredible power. These two were very strong, perhaps I should have thought this through a little more carefully.

As the fire and ice flew straight into me I found myself being lifted off the ground, rising into the air and I lifted my hands as my body began to twirl of its own accord, causing the two attacks to spiral and combine before separating into either hand, causing one to burn with heat and the other freeze with cold but neither were painful.

I could feel everyone staring at me as the last drop of the magic flowed into me and I landed gracefully back on the ground once more, exhaling slowly as I tingled all over from the new forces that rode through my body, doubling in strength as the light dimmed away until it was vanquished completely from sight.

My eyes flew open and I turned a glare at both boys who stared at me in shock. With a powerful thrust of my hands outward both fire and ice flew straight at them, causing them to yell as Gray was slammed into the wall and frozen several feet in the air by his own ice which covered his naked chest and the rest of his body, leaving his head free as he struggled. Natsu received similar treatment however as his own flames tossed him back into the opposite wall to Gray he then dropped to the ground a crispy mess, groaning as his hair smoked from the fire as I then dusted off my hands, a small smirk on my lips.

"Next time, I hope you two will think a little better before deciding to rip this place apart." I announced in the silence as everyone continued to stare at me. When no one spoke for a moment I blushed and gripped my arm, ducking my head as I struggled to keep from trembling. "Sorry, that might have been a tad bit excessive."

"Are you kidding me? That was awesome!" Levy breathed with a sudden grin, bounding to her feet to then grip my hands to pull me forwards and spin me around. "That has to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen! Is that your magic? Absorption?"

"Um…sort of. A little." I said, shrinking back a little shyly as everyone else suddenly burst into cheers, applauding me with laughter as Gray yelled over everyone.

"Hey! Get me down from here! I swear when I get my hands on you Fae, you're gonna pay for this big time!" I just gave him a wave and a grin as he grumbled and turned his face away with a slight blush but I could see that little smirk on his face. He was secretly impressed. Amidst all the congratulations we started to put the guild hall back to rights and when I looked over to the request board to see a poster tucked away underneath a mass of others, however during the fighting it had dropped down to the ground so I walked over and picked it up.

"Missing girl, please help. Suspected kidnap, in desperate need of magical help." I murmured then stared at the photo of a little girl in pigtails, rosy cheeks and a toothy grin, one of the front ones missing. She looked so young, what had happened to her? I looked at the reward and frowned. It was only paying five hundred jewels. A task this serious should be paying way more than that, maybe the family is poor? They must be so worried about that little girl.

"That's been there for months." Mirajane told me sadly as she walked over to my side. "No one takes it because the reward is so small, it's hardly worth the effort for how much that needs to be done."

"You're kidding…" I murmured, staring at the picture. How can anyone not help this family? A child is missing!

"I know it's sad, but that's just the way it is. It'll be a hard task and it would be better suited to the more experienced wizards. Unfortunately I think this might be a little too much out of your league Fae and certainly not something you should undertake on your own. It could be very dangerous if you by chance caught up with the people." I could see Mira's point but still, was no one going to help that poor little girl? She looked so tiny, probably no older than seven.

"I'm taking it." I murmured quietly. Mira stared at me in shock.

"Please listen to me, you're not ready for something like this Fae. Child snatchers are no laughing matter and you could get seriously hurt."

"I'm taking it no matter what anyone says!" I answered back, turning to face her with a fiery resolve. "If no one else is going to help this little girl just because the reward is tiny, well then screw you guys! The point of Fairy Tail isn't just to collect the biggest rewards possible, it's about helping people for the sake of doing the right thing! Now there's a girl out there taken from her family and I'm sure as hell going to bring her back no matter what the cost!" My eyes began to darken slightly and I could feel a small tug deep inside me, a malicious twist that caused me to jolt slightly in surprise. Was that what I think it was? It's been so long since I've sensed that kind of presence I had almost completely forgotten about its existence.

"You're not ready Fae…" Mira tried but I gripped the poster tightly into my fingers, scrunching the paper as I turned and began to walk away. "You're not even wearing shoes!"

"Forget shoes, I've got a child snatcher to hunt." I growled as I walked out of the guild hall, everyone staring after me. I could feel a darkness pulsate within me and I gasped again, pressing my eyes shut and shaking my head. No. I buried that side of me away a long time ago. There is no way I was going to let it loose now. I'm not that person anymore!

I dug my nails into my palms and allowed the pain to wake me up again though I flinched when I saw the blood. Demons of my past still walking right alongside me. I should have known that there were some doors that simply could not have been closed. I couldn't lock away all of my emotions forever and sooner or later I would have to face that side of me, no matter how much I wished I didn't want to.

Looking at the poster I followed directions to the address, walking further and further downtown until I was in the most rundown block of houses and market stalls I had ever seen. I guessed it right. The reward was so small because these people barely had enough to get by. A tear dripped down my cheek so I brushed it away and stepped forwards.

"Mirajane is freaking out back at the guild you know." Gray's drawling tone sounded behind me and I turned quickly to see him there, hands tucked into his pocket with his shirt undone to reveal his rather toned chest. "She wants you to come back and let someone else handle the situation."

"I'll be fine Gray, there's no need to worry. I'm not as weak as everyone thinks, I just need time to conquer a few fears." I answered him simply, turning around to face him fully. "Why are you here? If you think you're going to drag me all the way back there then I'm afraid you're wasting your time." A smirk touched his lips as he tilted his head backwards slightly, regarding me carefully before giving a small chuckle.

"Nah, I'm here to lend a hand. I promised Mira I'd look out for you to keep her pacified. Natsu wanted to come too but he's under house arrest and isn't allowed on quests for a while. Gave it a real fight though." I blinked at him in surprise.

"You…you want to help me?" Gray nodded his head then stepped forwards to walk towards the door of the family that had requested our help. "Thank you Gray."

"Don't mention it. Let's get started." With that he knocked on the door. The place we stood before was rundown and in desperate need of repair. I could see several holes in the roof and the windows were boarded up. "Is anyone actually living here?" Gray questioned rather uncertainly so I took a deep breath through my nose.

"Yes. They're coming." He shot me a confused look at my answer but was interrupted from asking how I knew when the door was pulled open a crack. Instantly I got the smell of an old woman with musty clothes and I could even taste her nervousness on my tongue as she peered out fearfully.

"Who goes there?"

"We're mages from the Fairy Tail guild. We've come about your missing kid." Gray stated blandly so I elbowed his stomach firmly, making him grunt as I shot him a look then held out the poster.

"You asked for help and that's why we're here. She's your granddaughter, isn't she?" The door was flung open and a tiny woman appeared, gasping as tears filled her glassy blue eyes.

"You've come! I didn't think you would…the reward is so small after all…"

"Please, we need you to tell us everything that happened." The woman nodded her head and ushered us inside. We sat down on the two stools that were offered to us and the woman brought us some photos of the girl for us to look at.

"Her name is Mimi, she's seven years old and she's been missing an entire month now. I'm not as young as I once was so I sent her out on a little errand for me to get some bread for our supper, but she never came back. I searched for her myself but she never even made it to the bakery which is only a few minutes away." The woman, who told us her name was Rima, explained, sniffling quietly as she struggled to keep from crying. "It's awful, kids have been going missing for months now but nothing's being done. They're all from the bad end of town, as they call it, so no one cares."

"Wait a second, you're telling me that there's been multiple kidnappings?" Gray cut in, frowning deeply as I glanced his way then gently tapped his shoulder. He blinked then looked down at his bare chest before cursing as Rima stared in disbelief before stammering like a flustered young girl.

"Oh my…well um…yes…yes. One was taken just last week. There's been a total of thirteen and the first one happened six months ago. We've heard not a whisper of them since. Everyone is in a panic, the children are all terrified and we don't know what else to do. To the governors our kids are just another name on a long list that'll eventually disappear into the blue." Now Rima was crying, sobbing into her handkerchief as she hunched over, her hair frazzled and greying. "I haven't got much longer, but I want to see my little Mimi again before I go!"

"Hush, please Miss Rima, it'll be alright." I told her soothingly, getting up and placing my hand on her shoulder. "There's no reason for you to be so worried anymore, I promise that I'll find Mimi and all the other children and bring them back home safely. You have my word of honour, and I never break my word."

"Really? You'll do it?" Her arms flung around my waist and she sobbed against me as I blinked in surprise before resting my arms around her, patting her back with a soft smile before gently pushing her back.

"Now, can I see Mimi's room please? There's something I'll need in order to find her."

"Of course! It's just upstairs, the attic room." Rima gestured so I drew away and climbed upwards, Gray pausing before following me. The boards creaked under my toes and they were covered in dust, however as I pushed open the hatch and lifted myself up into the attic I smiled.

The room was light and airy with beams of sunlight streaking through. The bed was freshly made as if Mimi was going to return home at any moment and jump onto the spread to rumple all the neatly smoothed sheets. It was rather sparse, with only a chest full of clothes and a few rag dolls laid out neatly on the bed with open arms.

"Why'd you ask to see the girl's room?" Gray questioned me, pulling himself up and sitting with his legs dangling through the hatch.

"So I can pick up a scent. If I can memorise Mimi's smell then it'll make finding her a lot easier when we close in on her." I answered before closing my eyes and inhaling deeply. Mimi's scent was old but still tangible. It was fresh and youthful with a certain spice to it. She must be a very lively and energetic girl, I hope she's alright.

"How come your sense of smell is so good?" Gray pressed as I walked about the room and picked up various objects to sniff them, making sure I mapped the scent in my mind. "And how come now is the first time you've actually shown us what kind of magic you use? Why all the secrecy?"

"I like keeping to myself but now that I know that I can trust you all, I don't mind sharing a few more things about me." I replied, smiling as I picked up one of the dolls. "My sense of smell is good because of who and what I am. It's a little difficult to explain and I don't feel quite ready to share that particular detail yet as…well…it's not entirely pretty and I'm not that great at explaining things."

"You got that right." Gray agreed so I stuck out my tongue at him before placing the doll down. "You ready? Where do we start?"

"I have an idea, but it'll be a little dangerous and rather foolish. Are you up for it?" I challenged but Gray only smirked.

"Sounds good to me. I could do with something interesting to do." Gray dropped down back into the house and I followed him, pausing only a moment to glance around the room one last time before descending the rickety steps to where Rima waited for us.

"We can't tell you when we'll be back, but we promise we'll be as fast as we can." I said to her as she saw us out the door.

"Bless you children, please, just find my Mimi!" She called out to us as we walked down the street. Gray was once again shirtless but by this point I was a little used to it, so I only blushed when girls giggled as they walked past us, smiling at him and glaring at me for being with him.

"So what's this plan of yours?" Gray asked me so I brightened, giving a smile as I cracked my knuckles.

"Oh I think you'll like it. It involves catching an informant. Just follow my lead and try to keep up pretty boy." I winked before shooting forwards, arms spread like wings as I ran through the streets, Gray standing there stunned before racing after me.

"Hey wait up! No fair, you got a head start on me!" I gave a laugh then head down the back alleys and isolated streets, winding my way through the city before I stopped dead in my tracks, sniffing the air then smirking. This was the place. I could smell their pungent odour as easily as if they were standing right next to me. "What's the deal? You can't just run off on me like that." Gray panted for breath as he caught up, hunching over and gripping his knees as he gasped for air. "And how come you're so fast?!"

"Gray? You might want to get it together." I suggested to him quietly as shadows began to emerge around us, a dull chatter of laughter sounding as figures came into view. Gray looked up then instantly straightened, pulling me closer to him until we stood back to back and I glanced his way with a small smile, touched at the protective stance he'd adopted with one hand held backwards ready to pull me out of the way as we were surrounded.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little fairy from before. I remember you little miss, you gave us the slip last time but it won't happen again." The thief leader said as he punched a fist into his palm, facing me with an ugly grin but I stood my ground.

"I have no intention of running as I have a few questions I have to ask you. If you agree to cooperate then you have my word that you shall not be harmed." I spoke clearly and decisively, showing no fear as I narrowed my eyes slightly, fixating on the leader as he snorted.

"I don't think so you dumb bitch, you're gonna pay for losing us that bounty you had and then maybe we'll make you pay again some _other_ way. After all, the nights are long and lonely, me and my boys could use with some pretty company." Gray snarled dangerously and pulled around so that we circled, still back to back, and faced the leader himself.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that or I'll freeze your teeth to your tongue!" He threatened but I reached back and touched his arm with my hand, making him look my way. I was so focused and determined that I seemed to surprise him, showing no concern or fear as I faced these men who outnumbered us five to one.

"Bah! I've had enough of you runts. It's time to bleed! Get 'em boys!" The leader roared and suddenly they descended upon us with fists and weapons such as swords, knives and even clubs. Gray was quick to create his ice lance whilst I jumped forwards with a flip, soaring over someone's head then slammed my elbow into their back before spinning with a round house kick, taking out someone's jaw before moving once again to avoid being impaled.

My body moved and reacted so effortlessly that I felt as if I were dancing, hardly even blinking as I used my arm to block a swing then punched the attacker in the face straight into the cheekbone, knocking him out cold before ducking my head and twisting to grip one thief around the outside of his knees then pulled with all my might, sending him crashing to the ground as he tried to swing a club at me.

I found a fallen sword and quickly snatched it up by rolling to it, using it with artistic flair to deflect various attacks and even cleaved straight through a club whilst Gray effectively held off all other attackers, sending a blast of ice at anyone and everyone until all too soon they were running for freedom, yelling and screaming about the two crazy mages from Fairy Tail. I had to laugh inwardly.

"You'll regret this!" The lead thief yelled as he tried to run but I turned and flung my sword, watching with a smirk as it flashed brightly in the sunlight then embedded into a wooden post directly in front of him, forcing him to stop in his tracks with a panicked whimper. Gray quickly turned around and used his magic to slam the guy against the wall and pinned him down all the way up to his neck with ice, trapping him in place.

"I have to thank you for that one." He said to me so I chuckled to him as I walked over to our struggling captive.

"Don't think by killing me you'll stop my boys from carrying on my dirty work. There'll always be thieves in the city no matter how many rats you try to weed out!" He hissed at me but I just waved a hand dismissively in front of my face as if waving away a bad smell.

"We're not here to kill you, we just want some answers. What's your name?" He stopped and frowned at me so I just gave him a polite and patient smile, folding my hands in front of me as I waited for him to answer.

"Gideon." He answered finally, spitting it out so I nodded my head.

"Good. So Gideon, I'm going to ask some questions and you're going to answer them honestly and truthfully, otherwise my friend here is going to slowly freeze you into a block of ice and cut you up into tiny cubes. You got that? I don't have time to waste and trust me, I'll know if you lie to me." I gave him a wink. "I'll be able to smell it." Gideon glanced from me to Gray, the both of us looking rather frightening in our own way and I guess it was enough to make him concede as finally he cried out.

"Okay fine! Just let me out of here and I'll answer your stupid questions!" He howled but I shook my head, placing my hands on my hips.

"Not until this interrogation is over. Now. Talk to me about these child snatchers." My hand shot forwards and I pummelled my palm into the stone wall that Gideon was trapped against, my eyes narrowing viciously and as I glowered into his eyes I caught a flash of red as my irises bloomed like the gushing of blood before returning to their former colour. He gulped.

"Child…snatchers?"

"You people see everything that everyone else misses. Who's been taking the city children and where? Tell me how to find the people responsible." Gideon was shivering as I pushed my face closer to his, our noses almost touching as my face hardened in unrelenting anger. It may have been the fact that he was freezing cold but it was more likely the fact that I looked just about ready to murder him.

"Alright…you got me. I'll tell you everything I know, just please don't hurt me." He begged pitifully so I drew back and gave him some space, standing at Gray's side as I folded my arms before me and waited. Gideon lowered his head and exhaled, taking a moment to recover himself before speaking further. "I don't know exactly who they are or who's in charge, but I've seen them around. Even seen them take one of the kids. They do it all quiet and easy like, almost like shadows. One minute the kid is there and the next they're gone just like that."

"Where do they go?" Gideon lifted his ratty haired head to glare at me coldly.

"Reckon they're taken out of the city through the tunnels underground. We've seen and heard a couple of things, once I heard someone crying but didn't go to see. I was near the eastern exit, the one that leads up into the mountains. That's about as much as I can tell you, we don't have any part of what them snatchers have to do. Some of us have kids ourselves." I arched an eyebrow at him, sensing that he wasn't telling me everything.

"How do they take the children?" He frowned at me before thinking a moment back to when he'd seen one being taken. Inwardly I wanted to hurt him. He'd just sat back and let some creep take an innocent child? Maybe we should just leave him here and let him freeze to death. He deserves much worse.

"Well, the kid I saw being nicked was just sitting alone near the fountain with some marbles or something. I just happened to look his way, but then he just…vanished. I saw a hand reach up from the ground and grab his face to cover his mouth, but then they just melted into the ground." I stiffened at that, freezing in place as my breath halted in my throat. Shadow magic.

No, please just no. Anything but that!

"How do we find that tunnel you spoke of?" Gray demanded to know after I'd stood silent for a moment too long, still staring in horror at the thought. Mimi must have been taken by the same people, which means where she is, I'll have to face…shadow mages. Perhaps I should have listened to Mira in the first place.

"Unfreeze me and I'll take you there myself." Gideon smirked but I snapped awake, quickly frowning at him.

"I trust you about as much as I could throw you. Just tell us how to get there then we'll let you go. Or do I have to ask again?" I questioned him sweetly, dropping my arms to my sides slowly and I heard Gideon give a tight squeak before ardently shaking his head.

"No, no! I'll tell you, I'll tell you." He insisted then proceeded to give us the directions we needed. I listened to them carefully, mapping them in my head. From what he said the sewerage system had an extensive network running straight under the city with hundreds of passages and very few exits. If we get lost in there then it'll be a long time before we find our way out again. Good thing I'd taken a job down there earlier in the week. "Is that it? Can I go now? You gave me your word!" He flung at me harshly so I slowly looked at him, making him gulp pathetically. "Please?"

"Gray? Maybe you should let him go before he catches a cold." I suggested gently so Gray inclined his head then shattered the ice into tiny shards, allowing Gideon to drop to the ground where he trembled and shook. He froze in place, stared at us then went running for his life, yelling in fear as I rolled my eyes. "So dramatic."

"Got to hand it to you Fae, you sure do impress. You were like a totally different person back there." Gray said to me as I pulled my hair over my shoulder and began to comb my fingers through it thoughtfully.

"Why thank you. I think it's because I'm more determined than usual. Ordinarily I'd have been quaking in my boots." I looked down at my bare feet then laughed. "If I had any. Come on, let's go find that entrance. I need to draft in a favour."


	7. A Nose for Hunting

**Sorry for the delay, been super busy sorting out stuff for heading off to uni, so exciting! I really can't wait. For all of you out there also preparing for university or college, good luck to you all!**

 **Thank you _Mazelover_ for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far ;)**

* * *

Gray followed me willingly and I took him to the sewer system operations where I met with the head of office and he gladly granted us some overalls, lanterns, a map and helmets to wear whilst going down underground.

"So the guy just lets us wander around down here because you helped him out with a job, even though technically it's against the law because this place is off limits." Gray mused as we walked the dank, dark and rather foul smelling sewers. "Figures."

"Hey, the people love me around here because I take the time to help _them_ rather than go out grabbing myself as much glory and money as I can get. I care about the people in the city and they know it, so why shouldn't they turn a blind eye if I need some help?" I reasoned with him softly as I took the lead, following the map with my light held high. I didn't like it down here and I don't like it now. Too dark.

"I'm just saying, I think he helped out because of your pretty looks. Didn't you see the way he was staring at your ass every time you turned around?" Gray asked so I elbowed him playfully, tossing him a smirk.

"If I'm turned around then how can I see if someone's looking at my rear?" I then frowned at him. "Don't you be getting any ideas." I warned him before striding on forwards. We both agreed that we wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible so we didn't talk much. The less we opened our mouths the better. It smelled so bad down here, I felt like vomiting.

Suddenly a scent caught my nose and I stopped, grimacing slightly before forcing myself to inhale a little deeper, ignoring the pungency of the sewerage to catch the paler smell of a young person. Several young people, in fact. "The children were carried through here." I stated as I stepped forwards and continued walking. "They were taken by different people, all of them shadow mages, but they all took the same route we're following now."

I discarded the map, shoving it into a pocket as Gray arched an eyebrow, trying to hide the fact that he was impressed. "How can you tell?"

"I smell the children and I grew up in a family of shadow mages. I know what they smell like." I answered a little darkly before shaking my head. "This way." I led Gray to higher ground, the path beginning to slope and we climbed our way up whilst taking various turns and even jumping across the water when necessary demanded it of us until finally we could see a light up ahead.

Using my arm to shield my eyes I turned away from the brightness until finally we found ourselves standing in an open room with light filtering in from above, the way boarded up with heavy locks in front. "They went through there." I pointed to the wreckage of the collapsed tunnel. Obviously they did not want anyone following them.

"Well that's just great." Gray mumbled as he walked forwards and tried to push one of the beams aside but the moment the entire thing trembled he jumped back, not wanting to risk it. "So how do we get through?"

"We blast our way through." I answered, turning and walking away a few paces to put plenty of distance between myself and the collapsed structure. "Gray, I need you to attack me."

"What?! No way!"

"It'll be fine, I'll absorb the attack then send it straight at the gateway there with double the power. It doesn't hurt me at all." I promised him before forming the absorption plate before me, my stance lowered and prepared. "Just do it, we don't have much time."

"Alright, get ready." He said hesitantly before crushing a fist into his palm and created his Ice Lance attack again. Gray grit his teeth then sent it straight for me so I took a deep breath, preparing for the hit. It came like an avalanche and I was pushed back over the ground, my feet digging into the stonework as I struggled to maintain the power as it was pulled into my body.

"That's cold." I breathed with a shiver, my shoulders trembling as I struggled for breath as the last of it settled in my body. I looked down at my hands to find them gleaming like ice, dusted with icicles with a crystalline sheen all the way up my arms with my fingertips turning pure white. "Okay, stand back Gray, this might get a little explosive." Gray nodded and came to stand behind me, watching carefully as I held my hands outward towards the collapsed structure. "Absorption Magic, Ice Make Lances Double Power!" My voice rang out and the familiar rush of air swept around me and a golden light burst free as the ice powered out from me with a distinct boom, gushing towards the tunnel and ploughed straight through with incredible power as I rooted my feet to the ground, however as the force of the blast disconnected from me I was sent stumbling back.

"Careful!" Gray's solid and partially nude body suddenly pressed into my back, holding me upright with his arms wrapped around me to keep me balanced. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded my head, blushing slightly as Gray held me in his arms a moment longer, frowning at me slightly as if thinking about arguing before he shrugged and set me upright. "Well at least the plan worked." I said, quickly trying to change the subject as I gestured to the tunnel which was now cleared of the debris enough so that we could climb through.

"Great thinking." Gray nodded his head in agreement before taking the lead, stepping into the tunnel then began to climb over the wooden beams and rubble. "Be careful, we don't know how stable it'll be. The ice should hold it together for a while but if there's too much weight then it'll crumble and collapse on top of us. We should hurry."

"Right." I answered before hurrying to catch up with him, nervously glancing around. It was quite pretty actually. The ice seemed to glow with light as it lay in patches upon the walls, ceiling and ground, trapping back the rubble and sealing many cracks from where I had blasted a hole through. We scrambled and climbed for what felt like hours, pushing aside any beams that the blast hadn't reached and forcing our way through until Gray growled.

"Where the heck are we? We have to be out of the city by now, we've been walking for hours!"

"This place isn't on the map. I think we may have accidentally stumbled upon a secret passage." I replied quietly and thoughtfully, taking a moment to stop and look around me before inhaling. "The shadow mages definitely came through here and there is a very weak scent of a child but it's not Mimi. It must have been the latest one they've kidnapped I can smell." I reasoned before tapping a finger to my cheek. "The only thing we can do is keep walking to see where the tunnel ends."

"Yeah but this sucks. It's lunch time and I'm starving." Gray muttered so I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

"If you really want you can go back. No one's forcing you to come, least of all me. I know you only came because Mira asked you to so I won't hold it against you if you'd rather be relaxing back at the guild instead of traipsing through the sewers with a girl who hardly has a clue of what she's doing. The reason I'm here is because I want to bring those little kids back to their families, so if you're not interested in helping then please, just go home." There was a slight sharp bitterness to my voice and I instantly regretted it but you can't take back words once they've been said.

Gray didn't answer me, instead just standing there and regarding me coolly so I continued to walk forwards, not looking back over my shoulder. I stopped to push aside a support beam however in doing so, several others collapsed down towards me as their only restraint was lifted away. I gave a panicked gasp and flung my arms up to shield my face giving a short scream as fear flashed through my mind and shut everything down.

A solid weight crashed into my body and I felt myself being lifted off the ground as Gray yelled a warning, his arms easily picking me up as he jumped through the falling beams and collapsing rubble to then skid to a halt on the other side, the smell of dust filling my nose as it billowed out in a thick cloud before it settled once more.

"Think I'd better stick with you. Never know what'll happen if there's no one watching your back." Gray's amused voice awoke me from me terror and I looked up at him as he smirked down at me, still holding me in his arms before he gently set me back down on my feet. "Come on, let's get out of this dump." He inclined his head then started walking so I dumbly followed him, a little surprised that he'd chosen to actually follow me.

We didn't speak again for a while, returning to our slightly awkward silence until finally, Gray kicked down the rubble that blocked our path to reveal bright, intense sunlight which instantly caused us to hiss and look away as our eyes slowly adjusted.

The hiss of settling dust touched my ears as I lowered my arm and stepped outside, feeling a cold but soft breeze as I looked out and around to where we had ended up. "Gray? You need to take a look at this." I whispered to him in awe, staring as he slowly opened his eyes and looked as well.

We stood halfway up a mountain with the peaks shining brightly under the sunlight, the snow tipped points reaching for the cloudless skies with the mystical calls of birds singing from peak to peak. "How the hell did we get all the way out here?" Gray demanded to know, scratching his head with a deep frown. "No wonder it feels like I hiked a mountain. That tunnel has brought us straight up into the peaks beside the city." He turned and sure enough we saw the city laying peacefully beneath our feet to the west, making me smile affectionately at its idyllic presence before I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath. "Getting any scents?"

"The air is so clear up here, I can't quite pinpoint anything. It's too breezy for me to fixate on anything so we'll have to head down to try and find something to go on." I answered, pointing to a sloping mountain path that had been seemingly cut from the stone itself. "I'm betting they went down too as there's no way of going up and it would be pointless because there's nothing up here. They must have taken the valley path and head further inland."

"How do you figure that?" Gray asked but didn't argue, jumping down off the rock we stood on to the path below then lifted his hands to help me down too, gripping me under my arms to set me back down on my feet.

"It's logical. If I'm wrong then we'll have to come back and try again but this seems like the most likely option for now. If we find a town then maybe we can ask if they've had any shadow mages passing through and go from there." I explained to him as we abandoned our helmets and overalls but I kept the tool belt with me and a lantern, theorising that they could come in handy at some point.

We'd been given rope and matches as well as the map so I kept them hooked onto my belt and carried the lantern in my hand as we started to make our way down the winding path. "So…" Gray started a little awkwardly, his arms flexed back as he cupped the back of his head. "I know about your absorption magic and your sense of smell…what else can you do?" I shifted uncomfortably, looking away from him. "You don't have to be shy you know. The magic you have already is pretty cool."

"I guess so, it's just that…I don't know. I've never really accepted my magic before now. Ever since I was little my father always told me that my magic was useless and weak, completely pointless and I believed him. I inherited my abilities from my mother, you see but he was the one who taught me absorption magic." I mentioned then flinched slightly, a prickliness stabbing at my chest at the mention of her. "Now that I have the freedom to be who I truly am, it feels a little strange. I haven't really used my magic before because there was never a need, so in some ways I'm still discovering them for myself."

"You mean you don't know what you can do?" Gray looked astonished, giving me a quick look and his arms dropped back to his sides. "What kind of creep of a father did you have?" I shrugged dismissively.

"He doesn't matter. My mother told me about her powers and explained to me the basics, so I'm confident that with a little bit of practice I can get the hang of things. What I really need is a reason to unlock them." My hands began to fiddle with my hair nervously as I pulled it over one shoulder and began to braid it unwittingly then combed my fingers through it to start again as I talked. "To be honest…I'm afraid of my magic. I'm not sure I can control it."

"Sure you can, you just need practice like you said." Gray shrugged, folding his arms across his bare chest. How does he do it? I don't even see him take off his shirt before I notice that he's not wearing one. It's a really weird habit, I wonder how it started? "There's something that Master Makarov says. No matter who you are, mage or human, you've gotta be true to yourself otherwise you'll never unlock your full potential. Or something like that."

"I like it, sounds very philosophical." I said with a smile. "You're right, I shouldn't be afraid, but a part of me just can't help it. It's been a long time since I've been able to do exactly what I want and be who I truly am, it'll take some time to rediscover myself." His eyes looked at me curiously with a silent knowing that I was concealing more from him than I wanted him to know.

"You didn't have a very happy childhood, did you?" He asked and I looked away quickly, my smile fading from my face as ice melts in the sun.

"Not really."

"But you were close to your mom?"

"Yeah. I was." Gray caught on and sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he tilted his face up towards the sky.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault." Another spell of awkwardness passed between us, Gray looking everywhere around him and occasionally glancing at me but then quickly looked away again as I fixated on the ground in front of me. Suddenly I felt very cold and I could feel a shiver crawling across my skin. I shouldn't be so stupid about this, just tell him what you are Fae! They'll all find out sooner or later, so you may as well be honest.

Though even as I opened my mouth to try, my nerves came over me and I clamped my mouth shut once more. This is hopeless. I'm hopeless. Get a grip Fae! "Hey Gray? Um…" I started with a rosy blush on my pale cheeks, making me blush even further knowing that I was embarrassed. "So…uh…how long have you been in the guild?" Coward.

"Since I was a kid. I've grown up there so it's basically my home and family. My parents died when I was younger so I was on my own for a while." He answered casually and I looked at him in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah. They died back in my village after a demon attack." Gray looked away from me, his eyes clouding over and his entire body tensed with a silent rage. I didn't know. How stupid are you Fae? Of course you're not the only one who carries demons around with you, other people have known grief and terror too, you're so selfish.

"Gray…" My hand reached out and I touched his arm gently with a light pressure so that he could brush me off he wanted to but he didn't, just stopped in the road and continued to look down at his feet. "Saying I'm sorry won't cut it, I can understand that, so I'm not really sure what else to say." I told him in a soft voice, barely above a whisper. "But I do understand how you might feel. That kind of pain never really goes away and it's a hard burden to carry with you alone, so don't feel like you should bottle it up inside you. If you need to talk, I'm listening." Feeling a little spontaneous I slipped my arms around Gray's middle and embraced him.

I sensed Gray's shock at my forwardness but I just hung onto him, turning my cheek into his chest and closed my eyes. For a moment Gray didn't move, staring down at me before slowly his arms lowered down around me, one curling around my back as his other rested his hand against my head and pulled me a little closer. "Thanks Fae." He said quietly and warmly, making me smile before I suddenly gasped, my eyes flying open. "What?" Gray questioned, hearing my sharp intake and then felt the wet tears as they gathered at my eyes. "Are you crying?"

"You're the first person I've hugged since my mother died." I whispered to him then pressed my eyes shut, shaking the thought from my mind and tightened my grip on Gray who smiled warmly down at me then secured his grip on me.

"Well, that's all changing now." He told me before finally, we broke apart. "Now come on, let's get down off this mountain and see if there's somewhere with food. I'm still hungry." Unable to hold back a giggle I nodded my head in agreement then hurried after him as he took off running.

We had got off the mountain and I had managed to pick up a faint scent, however it was difficult to track so we'd followed the path it seemed to follow then settled down to camp for the night, making a campfire and settled down after having gathered berries from the forest we'd found ourselves in. I had lit the lantern and kept it close to me as I slept that night to keep back the darkness then awoken in the morning feeling stiff and a little chilly.

"Maybe we should have prepared better before heading out here." Gray groaned as he rolled onto his back from where he had slept, pinching the bridge of his nose with a yawn. "I'm so hungry that I feel like I could eat a whale."

"Maybe there'll be more food the further we go into the forest. If we find a river or lake then I'm sure we can draw in some fish and cook them over a fire." I reasoned as I stretched my back and arms, yawning to myself but then stiffened when I heard someone approaching. I'd been so sound asleep that I hadn't even heard them from a safe distance, they were now too close to run away from. "Gray, someone's coming." I warned and instantly he was on his feet with an ice attack prepared as I lifted myself up slowly, closing my eyes and drawing in the scent. "Wait!"

"Don't attack! It's just me." The voice called out the same time I had, making Gray straighten up and arch an eyebrow in confusion as a figure walked through the trees.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned as Loke brushed himself off and gave a smiling wave to us. "Shouldn't you be recovering back at the guild?"

"Mira told me where you two had gone so I've been tracking you, thought I'd lend a hand and bring you some food." He informed us, giving me a wink before he tossed a bag at Gray who caught it and instantly dragged out a large sandwich, devouring it practically in one bite before shoving his hand in for another. "I figured you guys would appreciate the extra pair of hands, sounds like you're in for a rough deal ahead of you." Loke turned to look at me as I stared at him before I blushed and looked away, pulling my knees closer to me.

"Thanks Loke." I murmured before rising to my feet, brushing off my skirt from the blades of grass that had attached themselves to me. "But you shouldn't have come all this way, you're still hurt." I fussed, folding my arms in front of me and gave him a stern look which he only chuckled at in reply.

"I'll be fine. Gray needs someone to keep an eye on him, I've lost count how many times I've had to save his neck."

"Hey! It was one time and it was not my fault!" Gray retorted, making me chuckle as I gathered my belt and the lantern, securing the former around my waist then looked down the path where we needed to follow. "So where next?"

"The scent isn't as strong as it was before but I'm certain it heads that way." I pointed then looked back at the boys as Loke glanced at Gray for an explanation but didn't ask. "If we're going to catch up to those snatchers then we need to hurry. There's got to be a reason they're taking the children, however if its consistently from Magnolia then it must because they have a base of operations not too far away from here." Gray and Loke glanced at one another before looking back at me.

"Fae, I hate to say this but you know the chances of finding those kids are near enough impossible, right? For all we know they could have been shipped over the sea to some other place or even sold as slaves. I don't think we'll be seeing them again." Gray said slowly as he stood up, slinging the rucksack over his shoulder as I quickly clenched my fingers into fists, refusing to look at him.

"Then we find the mages who took them, force them to hand over the information then we hunt down those children one by one. I don't care how long this takes, even if it takes years because I made a promise and my word is absolute." Spinning around I felt the wind rustle through my hair, tossing it back as my fierce eyes fixated on the both of them. "Even if I have to journey to the other side of the world I'm going to find Mimi and the others and bring them back home to their families and if I die trying then so be it. I am not about to give up on them, not for anything!"

A pulse of light flickered within me and I breathed deeply, closing my eyes and turning my back to them as I tried to keep myself under control. I need to keep a better lid on things if I'm to keep the few friends that I have. "We can understand how you feel Fae, we just need you to understand that this might not be as simple as you think." Loke said gently so I exhaled, relaxing my shoulders and lifted my head once more to feel the wind brush against my cheeks.

"I know." I answered before stepping forwards with slow agile movements, letting my fists relax so that my fingers hung loose at my sides. "Let's go, I'm picking up a scent again." As I walked I heard Gray lower his voice in an attempt to whisper secretly to Loke.

"She's got a nose like Natsu's, it's almost creepy. You think she's a dragon slayer too?"

"No of course not, she doesn't have that kind of magical energy about her." Loke replied just as quietly and the two began to murmur to one another, tossing around ideas as to what kind of magic I possessed, making me chuckle to myself at some of the rather intriguing suggestions I heard behind me but I didn't comment.

We walked all day before coming across a town where we made enquires about shadow mages but no one had seen any. Feeling a little downhearted I went with Loke and Gray to get some supplies, which with their charm and easy appeal came to a bargain price, almost a steal. I was about to suggest finding somewhere to stay for the night when I heard someone whisper from behind me.

"Psst." Loke and Gray were arguing about whether or not to stay in town or camp out elsewhere so they didn't hear anything, however as I turned around I saw a young woman standing in an alley, partially concealed in the shadows and she beckoned to me. Her eyes were desperate looking and she seemed afraid, glancing left and right continuously so I approached her quietly, Loke and Gray not even noticing that I was moving away from them.

"Hello." I greeted quietly, stepping into the alley as the woman gestured that I follow her. "What's the matter?"

"You're the wizards from Fairy Tail asking about shadow mages, aren't you?" She questioned me and I nodded my head so she bit her lip and glanced around once more. "No one here will tell you anything, they don't know what to look for but I can tell a shadow mage. I can sense their magic and I know that they've been here."

"Really? How do you know? Have you seen any children with them?" I quickly questioned, my eyes widening slightly but when she shook her head my shoulders slumped again.

"I haven't seen any kids, but those mages you're searching for come here. I know because I'm a wizard myself, I can use teleportation magic so I know what magical energy feels like." She explained to me. "Six months ago our supply train was raided and severely damaged but we never caught the culprits but when I went to look for myself, I could sense a dark residue in the air. I had my suspicions but I didn't say anything, the townsfolk would think me crazy. Anyway ever since then things keep on happening. Supplies are stolen as well as tools and food. We're a mining town and we rely on our trade but ever since these disturbances started we've been struggling to keep up with the coal demand."

"Coal? You mine coal? Where are the mines?" I asked so the woman drew me closer to the entrance of the alleyway then pointed up towards some distant mountains a few days walk from the town.

"There's an encampment up there for the workers to stay at whilst they're digging, they'll stay there a week at a time before the shift rotates. To get there they use the monorail but since that's been damaged too, we've been having to walk there. It takes three days to walk there though on the monorail it only takes a few hours. I was up there last month and the place was overflowing with shadow magic, I could feel it deep down in the pits leaking out from every crack and gape like some sort of disease." She shivered before gripping my hands. "You have to go down there and see what's happening. Our town needs to be able to mine coal, but if we can't keep up with demand then we'll all starve when the winter comes."

"Don't worry, I'll go and look myself. If there are any shadow mages there then I'll uproot them and make sure that they never come back." I promised her gently as she gripped onto my hands, trying to comfort her. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I don't think so, other than sometimes people go missing from the mines then suddenly reappear again, but they act all strange. My big brother disappeared for two days last month then came back but he was all quiet and secretive, not talking to anyone. No one else can see it but I think he's been cursed or something, he's just not himself."

"May I see him?" I asked her and she blinked in surprise, her mouth gaping open before she nodded her head. We stepped out of the alley and I glanced around for Loke and Gray to try and locate them but after an impatient tug on my hand by the woman I turned and followed her hasty footsteps. "My name is Fae, what's yours?"

"I'm Annalisa." She answered, giving me a friendly smile. Her cherry red hair brought out the maroon of her eyes, blushing red like a rose of delicate beauty. Annalisa brought me to her house and let me inside, leading the way to a small and dark room where a man sat before an empty hearth, staring at it with his back turned to us, hunched over in silence. "This is Marcos, my brother." She whispered then stepped forwards to touch her brother's shoulder. "Marcos? There's someone here to see you. She wants to speak to you about what happened in the mines."

He made no answer nor gave any indication that he'd heard her so I stepped forwards, touching Anna's shoulder to reassure her then moved around to stand in front of Marcos. Anna was right. Marcos was infused with shadow magic like a dark spell to turn him into an unfeeling shell of a man. Still alive but barely awake. "Marcos? You need to fight it, you can't let the darkness control you." I whispered to him, kneeling down before him and placed my hands over his, looking up into his bloodshot eyes. "Please, do it for your sister. She's worried about you."

Without warning there was a heavy fist banging on the door and Gray's angry shout came from outside. "Open up! Tell us where Fae is! We know you dragged her in here!" Anna squeaked in fear but I just glared towards the source of the voice.

"That's just Gray, he's helping me on the quest. Would it be okay to let them both in?"

"Oh, of course." Anna said then hurried to let them inside. I turned my attention back to Marcos who still made no sound. His skin was burning hot and I could tell that he was in pain but the magic stopped him from showing anything outwardly. I need to know what happened to him and more importantly, what he had seen for him to be turned into a piece of unfeeling driftwood like this.

"Fae! Don't go running off like that, we were worried about you." Gray scolded me as he stormed inside followed by Loke and a blushing Annalisa as he strutted about without his shirt or pants on, standing in only his underwear.

"Put on your clothes Gray and quit your worrying, I'm fine." I assured him with a smile his way. "This is Marcos, he's been infused with shadow magic. It's completely taken him over and it's draining him of all sentimentality. Soon enough he won't even remember who he is." Anna gasped in horror, her hand jumping to her mouth and I watched out of the corner of my eye as Loke moved smoothly to her side and placed an arm around her with his charming expression on his face.

"Now there's no need to worry my lovely lady, we can help put your brother back on his feet, we'll just need a little time that's all." I gave a quiet chuckle to myself. That's Loke for you, always making a move on the pretty ladies.

"Would you please stop? We don't have time for your flirting!" Gray snapped with a scowl, arms folded across his chest. At least he'd put his clothes back on.

"I can't help being so chivalrous, can't you see this poor beauty needs comforting?" Loke returned charmingly so I shook my head as Gray opened his mouth to retort.

"Hush, both of you." I requested softly and shot them both a warning look so they quickly clamped their mouths shut. "You're right when you say we don't have time, but Marcos doesn't have any either. I'm going to have to remove the magic from him myself."

"What? No! That could be dangerous for you Fae, what if you turn into zombie just like him?" Gray demanded but as he took a step forwards to try and pull me away I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to try and stop me. He recoiled from my look and gulped, standing well back as Loke watched me with concern.

Taking a deep breath I slid my hands into Marcos's and closed my eyes, gripping onto his large fingers tightly as my own hands began to glow at the push of my magical energy. "Absorb." I murmured quietly though my voice rang out clearly, echoing subtly as a rush of air swept through the room, causing Anna to squeak and cling onto Loke for balance as he gladly offered his assistance, holding her close whilst Gray lifted his arms to shield his face.

The twisting and ugly energy that ran through Marcos's mind hissed at me, thrashing out however the moment I pulled it towards me, both Marcos and I cried out in pain. He threw back his head and howled as I screamed, tears streaking down my face as light suddenly exploded from my body in a rejection of the magic but I forced myself to draw it in, purging it from Marcos as he thrashed before me but I kept a firm grip on his hands, gritting my teeth as I bit down on my scream.

"Fae!" I heard both Loke and Gray yell for me and I anchored myself on that sound, letting it draw me back as I tugged the poisonous magic further into my body, feeling it slither up my arms like venomous snakes. It was not a physical pain but more of a splitting ache that seemed to rip my mind like paper, increasing with each passing moment as Marcos slowly settled, the pain being dragged away from him and I could sense his mind become more awake, responding to the desertion of the shadow magic.

Finally it was over and although I could feel my heart pounding in my chest I gave a small, tear stained smile as my back arched, the light fading away as I saw Marcos open his eyes and look at me in confusion. "What…what happened?" He questioned before he snatched his breath, seeing me crumble to the ground with uncontrollable twitches. "Hey! What's going on?!"

"Marcos!" Anna cried out and flung her arms around her brother as Loke and Gray leaped to my side, pulling me upright and turning me so that I faced them. I could see the worry in their eyes and I tried to smile for them but I couldn't. I was shaking too much.

"So…c-c-cold…" I whispered as Loke held me in his arms protectively, touching a hand to my brow. "I n-need…to get r-rid…of the…m-magic…please…"

"We have to carry her outside, she needs to expel the shadow magic from her body before it starts to take effect." Gray said and Loke nodded his head firmly in agreement, rushing to his feet with his arms cradling me to him, making me gasp as one hand gripped into his shirt desperately, still trembling like a leaf.

Loke moved quickly with Gray following me close behind as I was rushed outside. "Okay princess, give it all you've got." Loke whispered in my ear as he placed me on my feet and Gray helped keep me balanced, both of them holding onto my arms. "You need to hurry, your body won't be able to sustain the power imbalance for much longer.

"R-right…" My teeth chattered as I took deep breaths then faced forwards. We were still in the middle of town but I didn't have much of a choice. This kind of magic was poisonous to me, I could already feel it turning me to the dark…emotions welling up inside me that made me want to burn and curse all around me. I wanted to quench all light and plunge this world into darkness, let others feel the fear I had felt for all these years…no! No I can't! Don't give in Fae, that's not you!

 _Fight it all you wish, you cannot run from who you truly are…_

No, that's impossible. This can't be happening! I am not that person anymore, I got rid of that essence the moment I could after I'd washed ashore on a beach. She is not me and I am not her, we are not the same!

 _I am your shadow, little Fae…I have always been a part of you as much as anyone's shadow is. You cannot escape me, because wherever there is light there shall also be darkness. You cannot run from who you are!_

Watch me bitch.

Sucking in a deep breath I clenched my fists and pushed Loke and Gray aside, tensing every muscle in my body as the war within me began to rage, the screaming and screeching ringing in my ears until I let it all loose in a roar, pushing the darkness from my chest and I watched as it began to rise from me in wispy purple shadows, my mouth and eyes glowing like fire pits as they too leaked the dark substance until it manifested before me in a billowing shape of a human, mirroring me with a banshee like screech.

I collapsed to my knees with a moan, feeling the energy draining from me like a gushing river as the shadow before me reached out and tried to grasp me once more. "Ice Make Lance!" Gray's sudden shout caused the shadow creature to freeze in place before the ice spikes pierced its body, causing it to scream shrilly as Loke wrapped his arms around me from behind, drawing me back with a dark glare towards the creature as it threw back its head, the ice causing it to destabilise and melt into dust, blowing away on the wind without a trace save for a dark residue from its now vanquished presence.

My breathing was laboured and I winced from the memory of the pain but the cold was soon chased away from my skin as Loke held me, his naturally radiant presence somehow restoring my energy at a far more rapid pace than what was ordinary. "You okay?" He asked me, brushing my hair back from my face as I turned to look at him.

"Uh huh." I rasped then felt my eyelids grow heavier, my body slumping with a tired groan and Loke quickly supported my weight as Gray ran back to us, kneeling down beside me and placing his hand on my head to make sure I was okay.

"You need some shut eye little princess, that was some magic." Loke said to me in a softly bright voice, lifting me up once again as my senses spiralled into dysfunction, though strangely I wasn't afraid of the darkness that suddenly plunged around me because I knew that Loke was holding me, and that meant that nothing could harm me. He wouldn't let anything happen and neither would Gray.


	8. Shadow Mages

**Thanks to _Sisters of the Shadow Stars_ and _moonlitepassion_ for your reviews, I'm glad you like the story thus far and thanks for your compliments! They really make my day!**

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The next time I awoke it was morning and I was laying on a stranger's bed with several figures standing around me. Loke and Gray were the first to come into focus, both of them giving me a relieved smile as I blinked a few times then smiled weakly back. "Thank goodness you're awake. We were worried about you." Loke said as he reached out and brushed back my hair. I heard someone take a step forwards and my eyes flit over to where Anna and Marcos stood, smiling gratefully to me.

"We wanted to thank you, you saved my brother." Anna said to me quietly then held something out to me. "It's not much but it's all we have to give." My eyes slowly trailed down to the pouch of jewel she was offering me and I could see it was rather weighty. I gave a quiet chuckle, my voice cracking a little as I shifted a hand under the blankets and reached out for her hands to gently push it away.

"It was a pleasure." I told her then sat up, making sure that I was stable before swinging my legs out from under the bed. "We should get going and check out those mines. I've got a bad feeling about that place so we should hurry to find out what's going on."

"Take it easy, are you sure you're up for it?" Gray asked me and I nodded my head, standing easily on my own feet. I didn't tell them how my head felt like someone was ringing a church bell in my skull or that my limbs felt like they were made from lead as I knew they would just worry.

"Please, at least take some provisions in that case, it's the least we can do." Anna said as Marcos stepped around the bed to face me.

"I'm not sure what it was you did, but I'd been screaming inside my own head for weeks where no one could hear me and I couldn't hear anything else answer back. I thought I was going to die a prisoner in my own body, but then your voice reached me through the dark." The deep vibrations of his voice caused me to start slightly as he moved closer.

Marcus was deeply tanned and I could see the thick layers of muscle underneath his shirt from his working in the mines. His black hair almost matched my own and his warm brown eyes seemed to constantly smile at me as I blushed modestly. "It was nothing, honestly. I was glad to help, I'm just sorry I won't be able to help everyone else affected by the magic yet."

"Don't feel sorry, I was trapped and you set me free. You were the first ray of light I had seen in weeks and I'm forever in your debt. If there's anything that you need, do not hesitate to ask. I'm just sorry that I can't remember anything that happened that may assist you on your quest." He murmured then lifted my hand to his lips to place a lingering kiss there, his eyes closed as his thumb brushed over the skin of my hand.

"Oh…uh…" I faltered, unsure of what to do as I heard Annalisa's quiet giggle in the corner whilst Loke and Gray looked completely astonished. Was…was Marcos flirting with me? Well this is strange, no one's ever really flirted with me before other than a few light attempts by Loke, but this was a little more obvious and substantial than what I was used to. When Marcos let go I drew my hand back to my chest and stared wide eyed up at him before I looked away with an embarrassed blush on my cheeks. "We'll be back soon and hopefully when we take care of the shadow mages the magic in the others will reverse. If not I'll be back to help heal them properly."

"We await your return with great anticipation." Marcos winked playfully as Anna stepped forwards and handed us two satchels of food and blankets to keep us warm during the nights. They stood at the door as they waved us off and wished us good luck and I glanced back over my shoulder to see Marcos watching me intently.

Loke looked back also briefly before placing a hand on my back and drawing me forwards. "Well isn't this an interesting turn of events? Seems you've got yourself an admirer little princess." Loke said teasingly and I blushed heavily for it.

"I'm very flattered but unfortunately nothing could ever become of whatever it is Marcus may or may not feel for me. I suspect he was simply very grateful for what I did and you're just reading too deeply into it." I retorted a little haughtily, making Loke laugh and Gray smirk as I strode on ahead and followed the path out of town and into the mountains.

Anna had drawn us a map with directions which were easy enough to follow so we kept on walking, taking short breaks when necessary and ate the provisions we had been given sparingly, knowing they would have to last the trip there and possibly back as well. As we walked Loke whistled a song to himself, hands in his pockets and I looked his way secretly, studying his face before quickly looking away once more.

Most of the conversation was held by Loke and Gray who seemed to get along rather well and I would occasionally answer a question they posed me or give my opinion when they asked for it, but for the most part I simply listened, enjoying their banter.

When the time came for us to make camp we picked a sheltered spot of rocks then made a small fire out of the sparse few twigs we could find, however I made sure to light my lantern when the night fell and the clouds covered the moon, plunging us all into an eerie blackness save for the flames before us. "You know, this is hardly going to keep us warm, maybe we should cuddle up together for warmth and protection." Loke suggested as he dropped an arm around me and drew me closer. "I'd be happy to help keep you company tonight princess, I'll keep you warm."

"Why would she want to cuddle with a creep like you?" Gray demanded to know with a smirk, humour resonating in his tone so I didn't worry about whether or not Loke was offended because I knew it was all in fun and play. "Personally I'd rather freeze to death."

"Well good thing I wasn't asking you then, Gray. After all, you're so used to the cold I bet you'd sleep naked on snow and not even flinch." Loke retorted. "And there's no way Fae would rather sleep next to you either since you can hardly ever keep your clothes on. You'd frighten her in the night."

"Would not!"

"Oh really?" I couldn't help but burst out laughing, drawing puzzled expressions towards me as I placed a hand over my mouth to try and hide the sound.

"I'm sorry, but are you two really arguing over who gets to sleep next to me? Now that's adorable. If you want a hug you only had to ask." I said as I laughed, shaking my head before setting my lantern down and pulling one of the blankets around me, tucking my knees in close as I yawned. "Both of you go to sleep and no more arguing please, if you don't mind. If I hear one more peep out of either of you then I shall be very displeased with you both." Giving them a warning smile I then turned over and curled up into myself, gazing into the light of my lamp as it cast a gentle glow over my face as I then sighed and closed my eyes to sleep.

Loke and Gray argued quietly after that, making me smile softly before I drifted into sleep only to awake to Loke shaking me awake. "Rise and shine princess, it's light enough to get going." I groaned loudly and rolled over, trying to hide under my blanket for a few more minutes rest but Loke snatched it from me, making me yelp as the sudden cold whilst Loke laughed, dangling the blanket just out of reach as I tried to grab it back.

"Loke!" I whined, mewling like a little kitten as I struggled to keep my eyes from closing of their own accord. "You're being mean." With a slight pout Loke gave a shameless shrug before offering me a hand and helping me to my feet.

"Duty calls I'm afraid, which means we eat and then go. Come on, we saved you the best of the biscuits." I sobered up a little at that, taking what they offered me and ate quietly though I continuously yawned and even fell off the rock I was sitting on at one point. Mornings were simply not my thing.

"You're worse than Natsu, slower too." Gray noted to me as he and Loke looked back to see me falling behind slightly. I knew that we had to hurry but I was so tired. Maybe I should have listened to them yesterday and waited a little longer to recover my strength, I still feel weak from battling with that shadow magic though in truth it had been nothing extravagant, just very draining.

"Cut her some slack Gray, her magical energy is still pretty low." Loke brushed him aside as he walked back to me. "Come on princess, let me help you out." He said smoothly before turning around and lowering his weight, waiting for me expectantly as I tilted my head at him curiously before it clicked. He wanted me to get onto his back.

My feet were stinging and my legs aching, in all honesty the idea of a proper rest was very welcome as we still had a long way to go and I still hadn't put anything on my feet. Very bad idea Fae, next time think things through before you go charging head first. That's Natsu's job to be reckless and impulsive.

Giving a grateful smile I draped my arms over Loke's shoulders and practically collapsed against his back as he reached back and found my legs after I'd hitched up my skirt a little, giving me room to sit neatly on his back and his hands supported me by my legs just under my knees whilst my head made a pillow out of his hood. "Thank you." I murmured sleepily as Loke stood up with me, shifting me up a little higher before walking onwards again.

"No problem little princess, you just take it easy okay?" He answered and I sleepily nodded my head as I closed my eyes and relaxed against Loke's soft and comfortable coat, drawing in his comforting scent. It was almost like nectar or syrup but not overly sweet, just enough to leave you feeling moreish and sensualised.

Loke carried me on his back without complaint, however when I awoke later I squeaked in horror and promptly leaped off him, bowing my head repeatedly in apology at having fallen asleep and forcing him to carry me so far. I felt deeply ashamed and mortified but he assured me that it was okay and that I hardly weighed a thing.

"You're sure?" I pressed, my eyebrows knitting together with worry. "Do you need to rest? Surely you must be tired now after carrying my useless rear for so long." That made both the boys laugh and I blushed again, unable to meet their eyes.

"Don't you worry about me, I'm fine." He assured me, tapping my nose with his thumb as his fingers curled under my chin to lift my face to meet his. "You feel better and that's all that matters."

"He's right, you weren't quite recovered from yesterday so it was better than you got some rest. We're a team here, so we look after one another." Gray informed me, carrying the rucksack on his shirtless back. I don't even question him anymore, I'm quite used to it. Besides, I shall happily and freely admit that Gray had a very admirable torso with all his hardened muscles and I was highly appreciative of its appeal. A girl can fantasise, right?

"Gray tells me that you have a particularly good sense of smell. Are you picking up anything yet?" Loke asked me and I frowned for a moment, realising that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings because of my little nap so I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, drawing in all the scents I could find and separated them according to relevance.

"Yes actually, I can smell the mages again and it's stronger than before. It's old and it's coming from that way." I turned and pointed to where we could see the monorail line running towards the mountain. "They must have used it to carry the children across. I can't find Mimi's scent because it's too old and the rain would have washed it away, however I am _fairly_ certain I can smell children both from within and outside the village."

"Great, just show me what I'm beating up and I'll have at it." Gray said, punching a fist into his palm before continuing to walk. "My fingers have been twitching for days and need a good workout." Loke rubbed the back of his head with a small chuckle after Gray before looking towards me. Our eyes met and I gave him a small smile before following after Gray as he muttered about shadow mages and how he was going to show them what for.

I myself was growing highly nervous and a little frightened. Of all the magic around, shadow magic scared me the most. It was that kind of magic that killed my mom and it had been used to terrorise me ever since I was little. I had seen it used in ways that completely twist and manipulate the personalities of others, mine included. It was a dark and resentful power source and I loathed it as much as I feared it.

"Hey, you okay?" Loke asked me gently, sensing my distress as I began to frantically fiddle with my hair. "You seem nervous."

"I'm fine." I answered a little too quickly, giving him a strained smile. "Only this is the first big job I've taken, I'm just hoping I don't screw up." Partially true I looked ahead and focused on the horizon as we continued to walk. "Those kids are depending on us and so is the village. I don't want to let them down."

"And you won't. You'll see." Loke assured me, placing his arm around my shoulders to draw me close to his side, smirking down at me. "There's something special about you princess and I can't quite put my finger on it, though if you'll let me, I'd like to be the one to unravel every secret there is to you. There is mystery behind those beautiful eyes of yours and I want to discover everything." Arching my eyebrow in disbelief I gave a short laugh and gently pushed him away from me so that I freed myself from his rather commanding grip.

"You're terrible Loke, you know that right?" I told him but he just shrugged knowingly. "I'm stuck on a road with an incorrigible womaniser and a stripper. Is there any hope left for me?" I asked dramatically, flinging a hand over my eyes and the both of them laughed as we continued walking down the road.

It was long and dreary and we spent another night out in the open, however on the third morning we closed in on the mining grounds and we slipped undercover, hiding before a cluster of rocks to see what was going on.

The miners looked like they were puppets on strings, moving mechanically without even uttering a word. The place was cold and filled with a repulsive energy that made me shrink back and dig my nails into the rocks with a slight tremble which Gray noticed so he reached out and placed a protective arm around me as I shrank further back. "They're there. They're all being controlled by a form of shadow magic. I can feel it." I whispered quietly. "The scent is stronger from within the mine. We need to find a way to get inside."

"Well, how about disguises?" Loke suggested then pointed towards a cluster of tents where supplies and uniforms were being kept. We could put on the overalls and blend in with the others to get inside. Only thing was we were all perfectly clean and I was fairly certain that we'd be spotted a mile away.

"Don't be stupid, we'd stick out like a girl in the men's bathhouse. I say we just bust our way in, take down any shadow mage that we find then get everyone out of there." Gray answered as I scanned the grounds before us, watching carefully.

"You really think that'll work? Idiot." Loke shook his head so I hushed them quietly then tapped my finger on the rock, pointing towards the carts that were being pushed into the mine on one rail and out on another.

"That's our way in." I whispered quietly. "We climb inside to hide then make our way as far into the mines as we can. I'm already picking up various scents. Looks like we'll be dealing with more than just shadow mages, I can smell others too and there's something else…I'm pretty sure it's the children we're after."

"Well then, what're we waiting for?" Loke questioned. We waited in our hiding place patiently before one by one sneaking to where the carts made a circle around the encampment, being unloaded at one station then rolled back inside on a rotating chain system. "I don't think that's coal…"

"No." I agreed, taking a deep breath through my nose to try and find out what it was. The scent was distinct but strange to me. I didn't know what it was. I crouched down in the cart with him, the cover pulled over our heads and as the cart moved off I was thrown by the rickety and unstable movements straight into Loke who grunted as I accidentally elbowed him in the gut. "Sorry!"

"Ssh, I'm fine." He whispered back but then placed his arms around me to draw me closer to his chest. "But just to be one the safe side, I'd better hold you close to keep you from hurting yourself."

"Honestly Loke." I tittered my tongue before falling silent, listening as we entered the mines. For a while there was silence but then as we moved deeper inside, I heard the dull clink of metal hitting rock and recognised the sound as pickaxes being used to cut into the stone. The smells of coal, sweat and damp filled my nostrils and I grimaced slightly at the scent, wrinkling my nose to try and dispel it.

Loke had a firm grip on me, trapping me to his chest with his legs wrapped around me also, making me blush furiously as his breath tickled my neck. We were carted deep into the mines, sounds dulling and sharpening depending on which track we were sent down, not so much as a murmur of words from anyone.

When our cart finally came a halt by bumping against a buffer I flinched at the loud clanking noise as Loke and I were thrown forwards before recoiling at the jerky motion, grunting quietly at the impact before Gray's cart slammed into ours as well. "Ouch. That one hurt a little." I heard Gray mutter before he flung back his cover. "It's clear guys, let's go."

"What a shame, and I was just getting comfortable." Loke murmured, making me elbow him sharply in the gut.

"Focus Loke, flirt later if you must." I scolded him gently before climbing out of the cart where Gray moved over to me and I gratefully accepted his hand of help where he lifted me down to the ground like a gentleman. I looked around to find we were at a dead end however there were several tunnels stationed either side of us, all of them looked gloomy and eerie with dull lights flickering weakly within.

"So where do we go now?" Gray asked as I lit a match then set the flame in my lantern, lifting it up higher as I inspected each of the tunnels, taking deep breaths to catch the scents from within.

"Well this one smells cold and rather empty so I don't think we'll find anything down here. This one has workers down the bottom but these two smell like wizards, those strange minerals these people are mining and I'm pretty sure I'm picking up the scent of children. It's a little distilled but I'm almost certain." I pointed to the furthest tunnels to the left and right. "Should we split up?"

"Bad idea. We're only three people and if one of us gets into trouble then they'd have no backup. We should stick together." Gray said reasonably and for once, Loke didn't argue. We debated briefly over which tunnel to go down and we elected the one where the scents were stronger.

I went first with my lantern though Loke and Gray walked close behind me, their figures tensed and ready for battle. The tunnel was straight and was becoming narrower by the moment, forcing us to duck and eventually crawl in a single line and I had to carry the lantern in my mouth, peering ahead as we wriggled forwards. "This is not going to plan." Gray muttered as he tried to squeeze through a tiny gap but his broader frame didn't allow him to slide through whereas I had slipped past rather easily. "Uh…Fae? We're a little stuck."

"I can see light up ahead." I whispered back to them, turning around awkwardly and lay flat on my belly to look back at them. "You'd better try the other tunnel and see if there's a better way around. Here, take the lantern and hurry. I'll carry on this way to see what's ahead."

"No! Just come back Fae, we can't split up, it's too risky." Gray commanded as I pushed the lantern forwards but as I did so he reached out and gripped my wrist to keep me from escaping. "We don't know exactly what's out there so we need to stick together."

"Gray's right, you'll be vulnerable on your own." Loke said but I just offered them a smile and drew my hand back to me.

"I'll be fine. I promise I won't charge in or anything stupid like that, I'll just see what's going on. You guys circle around and once we've scouted things out we'll decide what to do next." My face turned slightly pleading, beginning them to put their faith in me. "Please just trust me." They looked reluctantly at one another before caving, both sighing in exasperation.

"Alright, just be careful." Gray finally agreed.

"You take care princess, but don't worry. I'll come rescue you if anything happens. You can count on me." Loke winked to me and I giggled in return before shifting around and continuing to crawl through the narrow gap towards the distant light.

Without the lantern it was considerably darker and I cut my fingers and hands several times on the rocks and I grazed my knees through my skirt. I'll need a very long bath after this and probably a change of clothes. As the light grew brighter I squinted against it, straining my ears to listen and I slowly became accustomed to the chiming of tools picking at rock and the tiny mewling of whimpering voices. That has to be the children!

"No slacking, keep working!" A nasally voice snapped loudly and the distinct crack of a whip sounded, followed by alarmed squeaks before the tinkering of tools quickened in their pace. My body squeezed through the last gap to enter a large cavern filled with firelight where my eyes quickly adjusted. My eyes widened as I gasped, sliding behind a large jutting rock to keep from view as I looked over the horrifying sight before me.

Children of various ages and sizes worked mechanically in chains, bound by their ankles to one another along with grown adults who carried unneeded rocks away on their shoulders with backbreaking loads, eyes distant and unfeeling whilst the children continued to dig.

My eyes filled with tears of anger as I glared outward, seeing several men clad in leather studded raiment, carrying whips and weapons with angry scowls scratched onto their faces as they barked orders. I could see several tiny holes in the far side of the cavern, which looked to have been freshly dug. Occasionally a child would crawl out of it with tear stained cheeks and runny noses as they carried useless rocks and placed them in baskets.

A sudden scent caught my nose and my eyes turned to one of the holes where a young girl slowly poked out her head, a mop of blonde stained with black soot and dirt. She wriggled her way out with a trembling upper lip and my eyes widened upon recognition. It was Mimi! We'd found her!

Looking to her hands I frowned as I realised what she was carrying was no ordinary rock. It was clear blue and bright, freshly pulled from the cavern stone and she held it with the utmost care though her hands trembled noticeably. She handed it over to a larger child who carefully placed it in a separate basket where I could see more of the same type of crystals had been collected. They had the same distinct scent as the ones I had smelled from outside. Not ordinary crystal, I presume, as I could sense a kind of power from them. They must be magic of some kind.

"Move it! You're all working too slow so get a shift on or there'll be hell to pay!" One of the men roared then cracked his whip onto the ground, making everyone jump and begin to work even faster than before though I could sense that the children were quickly tiring. A few of them were curled up in a corner sleeping, possibly on a break but still completely exhausted.

Why were the adults placed under mind control but not the children? I suppose it's because adults were more wilful than children can be. Children are easily intimidated and can be forced to work that way, whereas adults are more likely to fight back.

Continuing my survey I counted no less than eight guards, two of them were wizards however they were not the shadow mages, which meant there would undoubtedly be more of them close by. We were outnumbered but perhaps with a little tact on our side we could take them, but how can we fight without endangering the children and other workers?

Suddenly I heard a loud crash which I flinched away from before lifting myself up slightly, looking down to see where a girl of about ten years had fallen, dropping the crystals she had been carrying. She sobbed quietly, clutching her injured knee but yelped in fear as one of the guards turned on her, eyes blazing in rage. "You stupid brat! If you're going to cry then I'll give you something to cry about!" He roared and lifted his whip high in the air, swinging it around before sending the lash straight for the petrified girl.

I moved without thinking and threw myself over the edge of the rocks to fall down silent as a shadow, landing before the girl and with a firm stance lifted my arm with my fist clenched tightly. The lash wrapped around my bare skin but I refrained from flinching, able to hide away the pain from showing on my face as I glared angrily at the mercenary guard. How dare he attack an innocent child?! Oh well, so much for not charging in without planning.

"What? Who the hell are you? How did you get in here?" He stumbled slightly in shock, staring at me with wide eyes before glaring as others turned their heads, looking towards the commotion before growing defensive, drawing their swords and weapons as they focused their attention on me.

"I am your worst nightmare." I said coldly, my voice resonating with power before I gripped onto the whip as it remained latched around my arm, causing the man before me to jolt slightly as he tried to pull me forwards but I held my ground, not moving an inch. All of a sudden I bellowed out my anger and whirled the mercenary around with all the force I could muster and he flew into two of his comrades with a terrified yell, the three of them crumbling against the stone wall and I heard it crack under the force of their collision. "You will release these children and the townsfolk from their shackles and allow them to walk free. Do this and I shall not harm you, I shall allow you to surrender yourselves to me peacefully." I announced loudly, my voice carrying through the cavern. When my echo became a pause of silence, it was finally answered with a chorus of condescending laughter.

"You're just a woman, why should we be afraid of you?" One of the men demanded to know, cracking his whip on the ground as I remained stoic and unmoving. "You're gonna learn not to meddle in business that ain't yours. Maybe we'll clap you in chains too and I'll make you dance for us for entertainment."

As my expression darkened I felt my anger building deep within me, a throb of darkness prodding in my chest as my eyes turned a fiery blood red, glowering with a heated rage which caused the men before me to halt and glance to one another worriedly, sensing a shift in magical energy as the air around me grew dark and cold.

"You should fear me because I _am_ your worst nightmare." My sharp hiss came with a flicker of my tongue, the air rising around me and caught my hair in its snatching fingers as I took a step forwards, my spine tingling with the energy that began to surge through me. "Now prepare to recompense for your transgressions. Fall to your knees and beg forgiveness from every man, woman and child whom you have afflicted. Grovel at their feet until your knees _bleed_." I bared my teeth to reveal sharp fangs on both sets of teeth, causing the mercenaries before me to gulp deliciously.

The children scrambled to get out of the line of conflict, pressing their backs to the walls and hugging onto one another as I faced the group in the centre of the cavern, my feet not even making a sound as I felt my body begin to shift and change into a darker and more demonic being.

 _Their blood shall flow like rivers upon hills, it shall stain these floors and I will taste it in my mouth as a banquet. They shall learn the true meaning of fear and they will never dare lift their eyes to anyone again, for I shall haunt their nightmares and darken their dreams until they are left trembling and wailing in agonising fear!_

No! No I cannot lose control. Get a hold of yourself Fae, do not let the darkness overrule you. You are stronger than this.

 _You have no power over me, little Fae, you are nothing but a vessel and now it is time that I rule what is rightfully mine!_

Not on my life, I will die before I give in to you! I will not let you hurt anyone for the sake of your own bloodlust, this is my fight and you have no part in it!

As my face twitched with the inward battle between myself and my inner demon, the two mages facing me suddenly found their confidence and determination. "Enough of this, we'll end you right here and now!" One of them yelled before striking an attack stance, thrusting out his hands and a large rock rose from the ground before him, torn from the floor itself before it shot towards me.

My demon eyes opened and snarled darkly, glinting like rubies as the large boulder came flying straight for me. Without even needing to think I clenched a fist and, standing in the same pose, punched straight forwards into the stone where I heard a resounding crack. It split open before me, my fist breaking straight through it with inconceivable strength and it flew past me harmlessly in broken pebbles as the men before me stared in shock, eyes wide and jaws slack.

"You will have to do better than that." I smirked, voice growling from my chest before I flew forwards like a flash of light. The first swing of my arm sent two of the men flying aside, batting them away like flies before I moved onto the other leg and repeated the hit to take out two more so that I faced the mages.

The earth wielding mage leaped backwards and tried to encase me in stone but I leaped high into the air, feeling a rush of wind before I slid down the slope of the mound he created with perfect balance. "This chick is crazy!" They yelled as the other mage created two magic circles before his hands and sent multiple whips straight at me, slashing at the ground where I had to move to dodge them to keep from allowing them to touch me. "Where's everyone else? Get them down here now!"

"Yeah no kidding." Someone else groaned as they tried to stand up but struggled to do so, still winded from my strike. Incompetent fools. Will no one offer a more substantial challenge? I'm almost bored. Perhaps I should simply get this over and done with before finding something else to entertain myself with…no! Snap out of it Fae!

I awoke to find myself flinging the whip mage into the stone, my clawed hands lifted ready to slash through his neck but with a powerful scream within my own head I stopped myself, freezing in place with a soft gasp as my red eyes faded back to gold, glinting with tears slightly as I stared down at the trembling man beneath me. He seemed young, maybe only just in his twenties and I'd almost killed him. This was a mistake, I should not have come here. I should have let Loke and Gray handle this. I'm a danger to everyone here!

Suddenly a powerful force collided with my chest and I cried out in pain as I was flung backwards, the pillar of rock slamming against me and ripped me away from the other mage. I flew through the air then hit the ground painfully, rolling into the impact then lay weakly on the floor, scraped, bruised and bleeding and I heard my skirt rip from the abuse.

"Guess you weren't that scary after all. You're just a useless woman with a big mouth." As I trembled on the floor I clenched my fist, highly insulted but I couldn't quite force myself to move, the pain burning all over my body as I felt my magical energy deplete slightly. It takes too much of my strength to keep my other self suppressed and even more to overcome her. "Looks like we've got ourselves another volunteer." Laughter rang in my ears and I opened my eyes slightly to see boots walking slowly towards me. "We're going to make you hurt, little bitch, we'll make hell seem like a holiday resort once we're through with you."

I felt the vibrations of the earth beneath me and the crunching sound of rock being manipulated above me, a large stone being lifted up into the air in order to crush me beneath it. Fight back Fae, you have to fight for yourself. Fight! But I just couldn't. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't find the willpower to move. My father was right about me, I am useless.

"Not so fast punk!" My eyes flew open as I heard Gray's sudden roar and a blast of ice struck the earth mage, sending him flying backwards and as the stone above me began to fall, Loke came powering forwards and with the magic of one of his rings, punched straight through it. He landed on higher ground then jumped straight back into the fight as I lay there.

"That's no way to treat a lady, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves." He drawled as Gray yelled in anger.

"Get up Fae, Fairy Tail never give up!" He yelled to me and I flinched slightly. He's right. I'm a part of Fairy Tail now, which means that I can't surrender, not even when it's the end. I have to fight with every breath in my body, even if I am weak! Weakness can be made into a strength, and I have to show everyone that I am not the same as I once was. So with my arms trembling and struggling to support my weight I pushed myself up, gritting my teeth visibly as I looked to see Loke and Gray fighting back to back as swarms of mercenaries came streaming into the cavern, the screams of children ringing in my ears and that was the last encouragement I needed.

My eyes turned towards the fallen basket of crystals that lay not too far from me. They had magical energy within them, I could feel it. If I could absorb their energy then I'd be able to keep on fighting. I just need to reach one…as my hand stretched out, failing to reach the closest one, I saw the same girl from before inch close then roll one of them towards me, seeing what I was after. I gave her a small smile as my fingers enclosed around the crystal.

Instantly a burst of energy flew through me, flaring up my arms and I yelled aloud as I was swallowed with light as I absorbed the magical energy. Wow, this was amazing! This crystal had even more energy than I realised! I feel completely renewed, as if I'd just woken from a restorative and peaceful night's sleep.

The crystal turned dull and glassy in my hands so I dropped it to the floor, hearing it shatter upon impact as it became empty and brittle. With a fresh determination I shut my mind of all other thoughts and flew forwards.

As a sword descended for Loke's back my friend turned, eyes widening as he stared at the blade aiming for his neck but with a speed unlike that of an ordinary person I slammed my weight into the opponent, shoving him aside then gripped his wrist to twist it, making him cry out in pain and drop the blade before I rammed his head into rock, knocking him out cold. "Hey thanks." Loke grinned at me as I dusted off my hands.

"Don't mention it." I chuckled, still feeling a little beat up but at least now I could move. I leaped into the fight with bare fists, striking down anyone and everyone as Gray took on both mages himself, dodging and retaliating with his own attacks as they struggled to keep on par with his sheer power and skill. "Gray! Send that one my way." I called over to him, running to a space and he glanced my way as he held the earth mage in a headlock before nodding his head. With a heavy boot up his backside Gray sent the man flying towards me and I held out my hand, catching him by the throat but didn't apply any pressure, simply halted him before me.

"Wha…what are you doing?" He asked with a tremble, gripping my hand with his as I secured him before me, not letting him go.

"Hush." I murmured silkily then gave a small smirk. A bright light surrounded us both and he stared in fear as I began to absorb his magic, draining a portion of his magical energy into myself as he twitched and gasped, jerking in front of me before slowly his head drooped and his eyes closed in a faint. Not wanting to hurt him or take too much of his precious energy I stopped once he was unconscious, putting him down gently on the ground before drawing in a deep breath. "That feels good." I murmured, feeling the magical energy riding inside me.

Turning around I looked to the battle, seeing both Loke and Gray were surrounded. Time to even the odds. I thrust my hands outward and took a stance, feeling the earth magic flare through me and outward as I manipulated the earth underneath our feet. It gave a loud tremble, quaking at my command and everyone halted in place, glancing around in confusion before all at once, I snatched my elbows back into me and clenched my hands into fists.

A collective yell sounded as the earth exploded from the ground and created firm domes around each of the mercenaries and the remaining mage, restraining them effectively with their arms pinned to their sides and only their heads free so that they could breathe. "Hey what's the big idea? Let us go you jackass! What's going on?!" Gray and Loke stared in surprise before looking over to me, seeing my rather proud smirk and they gave a laugh, relaxing their stances as all of our opponents remained trapped.

"Great thinking, you sure know how to think on your feet." Gray complimented so I lifted my skirt and curtseyed graciously to him before walking forwards. "So what's the deal? Why kidnap all these people just to dig up some shiny rocks?"

"They're lacrima crystals. Very rare and can make a lot of money. Obviously the town didn't know what it was their mines possessed and these guys came here to loot it." Loke answered, dusting off his arms from imaginary dust as I looked around at the children who remained pinned to the walls, staring in slight fear. I don't blame them for being frightened, I certainly didn't help.

"Yeah but why would they need kids from our city if they've got plenty here?" Gray pressed, scratching his head in confusion.

"They're wizards, that's why." I answered, turning around and gave them a gentle smile. "Isn't that right? You can sense where the crystals were buried and dug them out faster than the others could and you were small enough to crawl through these holes." The group of thirteen children that had clustered together nodded their heads, still shying away from us. "It's alright, there's no need for you to be frightened. We're from the Fairy Tail guild, your parents sent us here to rescue you." I explained and their faces brightened with hope.

"Really? We can go home?" One of the boys asked and Loke nodded his head.

"That's right kids, you're all coming home with us." A cheer sounded through the cavern and the village children all joined in before one of them looked with concern to the adults who had simply stopped working, all of them with vacant expressions on their faces.

"What about them? Are you going to help us too?" The child asked and I glanced their way, suddenly realising that we hadn't yet encountered the shadow mages. Before I could answer I heard Gray yell in pain and I whirled around to see him flying backwards from a black force that had slammed into him, sending him flying straight into the stones painfully where he slumped to the ground.

"Gray!" I lunged forwards for him but when Loke was hit by a similar force I turned to stare in horror as he flew through the air and to the opposite side of the cave, striking hard rock and dropped down onto a pile of rocks that had been gathered there. "Loke!"

Malicious laughter filled the air and I froze in place, chilled to the bone as I slowly turned around to look up to a ledge where two figures rose out from the ground. It was a man and woman, both of whom smirked down at me with a cold amusement as I began to tremble. Shadow mages. "Well isn't this just a darling surprise, we have visitors." The woman drawled as she rested a hand on her curvaceous hip.

Her long black hair had a white streak at the front of her fringe, contrasting between the black and the blood red of her lips, charcoal eyes glowering down at me as the man she stood beside smirked further. I couldn't tell if they were brother and sister or a couple, but they both certainly had me shivering in my boots. He was taller than the woman but not much more muscled, with longish mauve hair and icy blue eyes. "Ah look at that Myra, the little girl is frightened."

"How cute." The woman snapped with a sharp grin. "How about we teach her not to arrive to someone's party uninvited, Milo? She can set an example to her dear friends."

"Sounds good to me." Milo agreed, cracking his knuckles before they both took their stances, mirroring one another perfectly. I knew that stance, I'd seen it hundreds of times before. I knew what was coming. They were going to infiltrate my mind and try to turn me into one of their puppets to do their bidding, no doubt to then make me attack my own friends.

"Fae! Get out of the way! Run!" I heard Loke yell as Gray struggled to try and get up but the moment he did so he collapsed back to his knees, Loke attempting the same thing as I just stood there uselessly, staring with wide eyes as my feet remained rooted to the spot whilst the blackness gathered around me, swirling like wisps of smoke before all at once they plunged straight into my soul.

A scream ripped from my throat and I distantly heard the boys yelling for me but I could do nothing and neither could they. My mind became enshrouded in a haunting world of black, purple and red shadows, cackling voices calling out to me as clawed hands scratched at my skin, causing me to cry and try to run but I couldn't move, only yell in fear each time they struck me.

My initial fear was powerful, however as I slowly began to force myself to calm down I closed my eyes and relaxed my muscles, knowing that to fight it would only make it more painful. I need to break through the shroud in order to free myself. If Loke and Gray had the strength and willpower to keep on fighting, then so do I! I'm not going to give up, even if they tear my body to shreds I will use my own blood to fight them if I have to!

I had been attacked with this encasement multiple times throughout my life, I knew exactly how it worked and how to beat it. My father and brothers were of a far superior strength, even with the attack combined by those two idiot mages their magical power wasn't even half as strong as what I had endured in the past. They will not defeat me!

Drawing in a deep breath I pushed out my magic, my voice rising as I gathered my strength to me, growing louder and louder until it was as loud as a war horn, my body surrounded by light which broke through the shadow magic, creating cracks in the sphere until finally with one final push it blasted away, leaving me standing there untouched as Myra and Milo stood there in dumbfounded astonishment, staring at me with wide eyes as I slowly lifted my head and looked to them, my eyes burning like twin suns, a trail of glowing gold emanating from them.

"Impossible! How did she break free? What kind of magic is that?" Myra whispered, drawing back slightly as I remained steadfast.

"You have no power over me. My fears are not yours to control and I shall not allow you to continue this violation of free will!" I shouted, voice booming outwards like a thunderclap as a gale force wind swirled through the cavern, howling with me as I lifted a hand and pointed towards the two shadow mages who drew back in fear. "Now, suffer the consequences."

Without any further warning I wrenched my hand aside and the ground they stood on crumbled, causing them to tumble with a cry to the ground but I flicked my wrist and drew out two stone platforms, using them to strike the both of them apart where they would be weaker than if they stood together. "Hell yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about." Gray smirked as Milo was flung his way and he got to his feet, cracking his knuckles. "You and me punk, let's go a few rounds."

I walked towards Myra who trembled on the ground, struggling to push herself upright but when she sensed me approaching her, still glowing like a flame in the night, she spun around and scrambled backwards. "What are you?"

"Your worst nightmare." I shrugged simply before clenching my fists at my side. She glared at me before yelling, announcing her shadow attack but I easily dodged it, using a rock as a springboard then flipped from my hands back onto my feet, back flipping out of range before sliding to the side, avoiding a shadow sword attack before dropping my weight and shooting forwards like a that falls from the heavens to slam my full weight into Myra, sending her flying backwards with a cry.

She recovered quickly and started to manipulate the shadows around us, sending them all to me at once but I stood perfectly still, allowing them to come and the moment they came into contact with the light that surrounded me it formed into a shield of magical energy, the dome inscribed with markings as it halted the attack then shattered it completely, causing Myra's eyes to widen further in shock.

"How…how did you do that?" She asked, pressing her back against the rocks as the light slowly began to fade and I returned to my normal self, giving a deep sigh as I then opened my eyes.

"Shadows and light counterbalance one another, you can't have one without the other however I am much stronger than you are. Attack me all you wish, I will break through every attack you send at me with ease." Myra's eyes narrowed at my insult, her face growing manic as she flung herself forwards and thundered at me.

"We'll see about that you filthy brat! I'll show you power!" Her resounding roar shook through the entire cavern and the lights all blackened, her rage escalating at an alarming rate as I tensed instinctively, my heart hammering as I was plunged into blankness. "I know what it is you fear, there's no escape!" She screamed before releasing all of her magic all at once.

"No!" I cried out as darts of shadow magic went flying towards the children, causing them to scream in terror as I tried to leap into the way but I couldn't move fast enough, I was too far away. My eyes watched in stupefied horror as the children all cowered away, waiting for the hit as wild shots darted all around us, forcing me to jump back and shield my face as they scattered across the darkened cavern, hammering into the rocks and even freeing some of the stone restrained mercenaries in the process.

It seemed hopeless, we were beginning to lose now that I'd effectively pissed off Myra. I should have just kept my mouth shut. Stupid move Fae, now you're going to regret it. Just as I was about to turn and vent my anger on a fitting Myra, a shape cut through the darkness and suddenly I saw fists of fire illuminate, taking down several of the mercenaries who had tried to sneak up on me from behind. "Alright! I'm all fired up now!"

"Aye sir!" My eyes widened with a gasp as I spun around, staring as Natsu stood behind me, his grin glowing as his flames flickered in his eyes, Happy standing beside him with a proud pose.

"Natsu! Happy! What the hell are you two doing here?!" I demanded to know before crying with joy. "I'm so glad to see you!" Natsu gave a laugh and placed his hands on his waist before jerking a thumb at himself.

"Happy and I snuck out of the city and tracked your scent. We wound up here and figured you wouldn't mind a helping hand. So how about it Fae, let's take out the bad guys once and for all!" His infectious fighting spirit made me nod and smile, warmth filling my body as I followed Natsu's example.

"Never fear, for backup is here!" Happy cheered, punching the air before turning hopeful eyes to me. "Do you have any fish? I'm _starving_."

"Not now Happy but I promise I'll find you one later." I answered, spinning around to where the children stood safely behind Loke's shield, making me sigh in relief as he winked at me. "Right now Happy I need you to relight those lanterns, we can hardly see a thing in here." I said to him, crouching down and fumbled in my tool belt before I managed to strike a match then handed him the case and the lit one. "Can you do that for me Happy?"

"Aye sir!" He cheered before flying towards the lanterns that lined the wall. Suddenly a powerful force slammed into my back, sending my flying and I was flipped in the air to then land heavily on my back with a cry of pain before I coughed, gasping for breath as Myra sauntered up to me.

"You're not as strong as you think you are. You're weak. Pathetic. Useless and…"

"Hey! Stop talking about my friend like that!" Natsu suddenly yelled as he jumped in front of me to block Myra's path, his eyes dangerously focused and his smirk was gone from his face. "Fae is a hundred times better than you and she's better looking too!"

"Natsu! That's…that's so sweet of you." I murmured, touching a hand to my chest where my heat warmed at his words.

"So to get to her, you'll have to go through me." Natsu challenged before igniting his fists, waiting as Myra smirked and arched an eyebrow.

"Fine by me, pretty boy." She drawled before springing up into the air where Natsu followed her, roaring with the bellow of a dragon as their attacks collided.

"Fae! Get everyone out of here!" Gray yelled to me. "Loke, cover her!"

"Got it." Loke said as he calmly pushed his shades further up the bridge of his nose before taking my hand and helping me to my feet. "You'd better run princess, don't worry. I'll protect you."

"I know." I answered, giving his hand a squeeze before I ran to the children who all trembled in fear, still trapped in their chains. "It's okay, there's no need to worry, I'll keep you all safe." I promised them gently. "Now what I need you all to do is move to higher ground, just follow the slope up to those rocks where you'll be safer then I can work on getting these chains off you." With gentle nudges and urgings they began to move up the rocks to a high ledge where they sat down and grouped together, still sniffling and whimpering in fear as I looked at the chains. I'll need the keys. Who has them?

"Look out!" One of the girls shrieked and I instantly spun around with a back kick, connecting with a chest and the man yelled as he was thrown backwards, sword falling from his grasp but when I heard the distinct jingle of keys my hand reached out and snatched them, smiling happily. "These'll do!" I trilled brightly then set to work freeing them all.

Once I had a few of them released I pointed to the small shaft where a small breeze blew through, the one where I had climbed out of. "Crawl through there and keep going. When you get to the end wait by the carts for us, we'll come and get you then take you home to your parents, I promise." I said as I twisted a key in another lock and unshackled a small girl. She instantly threw her arms around me in a tight hug, gripping my hair and shirt as she buried her face into my neck.

"Thank you lady, you rescued us just like an angel would!" I blinked in surprise at her words but smiled, placing my arms around her before pushing her towards the shaft so that she could crawl through. When I heard the growl of an opponent behind me I spun onto my back and launched out my feet to slam against his gut, causing him to double over in pain so that I then kicked him in the face, sending him flying onto his back as I leaped to my feet and handed the keys to one of the boys.

"Free the others, I'll hold them off." Turning around I faced the three men who had come for the children, their ugly snarls rumbling in my ears before all at once they charged forwards, lifting their weapons high as the children screamed.

I darted forwards, dropping my weight and slid into the space underneath them before jabbing my fist upward with full force, punching someone's ribs before I slammed my shoulder against them, shoving them into the wall before I snatched the collar of another as he tried to slip past me and I wrenched him around, flinging him off the ledge before I quickly dodged the next blow, however I wasn't fast enough and the blade tip sliced into my arm, drawing blood.

My eyes flashed bright red as I snarled in fury, turning my demonic glare onto him before with all the strength I could muster, high kicked him under his chin and he sailed backwards, crashing into the rocks then landed in a heap at the bottom. I felt the heat leave my eyes as they faded back to honey brown and I took a deep breath. I could feel the strain on my body now, I'd used up too much of my energy. I was just grateful that Natsu was here now, as with his destructive prowess we were almost certain to win the fight now.

As I dropped to my knees the children gasped with worry and quickly rushed to my side, placing their hands on my back and their high pitched voices squeaked at me with concern, asking whether I was alright whilst I gripped my arm to stop the bleeding. "I'm fine." I assured them softly as I took deep breaths. "Just a little worn out but don't worry, you're all safe now. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

I turned and looked in time to see Gray and Natsu knock out both Milo and Myra at the same time, the shadow mages falling unconscious to the floor and the moment they had dropped, the magic lifted from the adults and they blinked in confusion, a natural light returning to their eyes as they looked around them.

A handful of the children cried out with joy and ran to their fathers who swept them up into their arms, uncertain of what had happened as they looked over the mercenaries and the four mages who lay unresponsive on the ground. I stood up and smiled to the other children who then followed me down to the others where my three friends turned to face me.

"You okay? You hurt bad?" I looked down to my bleeding arm then shook my head to Gray.

"No, it could have been worse." Natsu's arm suddenly dropped down around my shoulders and he dragged me in for a tight one armed hug, grinning broadly as Happy flew back to his shoulder.

"Alright! Now that was awesome. We should totally do this more often because we rule! I'm still all fired up from that round and can't wait to knock some more heads together!" He cheered and I laughed, my face partially wincing at his crushing embrace as Happy lifted his fist into the air.

"Aye sir!"

"You realise you disobeyed Master Markov by coming here Natsu, you idiot." Gray told him coldly, his arms folded across his bare chest. Natsu answered back haughtily, eyes bright with challenge but before they could start another fight and completely destroy the place I gripped their hair and rammed their heads together.

"That's enough fighting for one day you two, cut it out!" I reprimanded as they dropped to the floor with a groan of pain, twitching slightly as Loke chuckled.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." He spoke as the miners approached us. It was a long explanation but by the end of it they were all clasping our hands and thanking us profusely again and again as the children all danced around me, cheering and making me laugh as I twirled around with them.

We were led out of that cavern and found the other children where they all rushed to me, instantly clinging onto my skirts and their voices chattered with worry and excitement, wanting to know when they could see their parents and what had happened whilst they were waiting. I answered as many of their questions as I could before I felt my knees buckle and I had to grip onto the wall for support, making the children all call out for help which instantly drew everyone's eyes towards me so I smiled and waved my hands. "I'm fine! Just tripped that's all." I insisted.

"Are you sure you're alright miss?" A girl's voice asked and I turned to look at a blonde haired little girl with bright eyes. I stared at her for a moment before smiling and kneeling down on the ground to her height level, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"You're Mimi, aren't you?" She gasped.

"How do you know my name?"

"Your grandmother was the one who asked me to come and find you. She's been very worried you know." I explained and I watched as Mimi's eyes glazed over with tears before all at once she started to cry. She flung her arms around my neck and sobbed into my shoulder as I held her reassuringly, curling my arms around her to then lift her off the ground and carrying her back into the warm sunlight where many cheers greeted us amidst the smiling and waving crowd of miners, now freed from their curse.


	9. Time To Go Home

**Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm really feeling the love :) so here's some love in return, enjoy the next chapter of Fae's story!**

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The mages and mercenaries were placed under lock and key with the miners keeping a close eye on them, making sure they wouldn't escape until the law came to deal with them. We had waited a day for the monorail to be fixed, which had turned out to be a minor technical problem instigated by the mercenaries' tampering.

I had been so exhausted that I had only just managed to fall into a bed before I had fallen asleep and did not wake until the following afternoon where the children crowded around me, patiently waiting for me to wake up. They followed me around like shadows, never straying far from me so I kept them entertained whilst the boys relaxed, lazing the day away.

Happy came over to play as well, giving the children flights through the air whilst I danced with them, the miners playing instruments for us to make wonderful bright music to cheer them all up. We had all bathed in a nearby hot spring to wash away the soot, grime, dust and dirt however my skirt was rather ripped and torn, tatty from the mistreatment so I resigned to the fact I would have to buy a new one when I got back home.

"Can you glow for us again? Show us your magic!" They all pleaded but I only laughed, placing my hands on my hips.

"I can only glow when I'm in serious trouble, I'm sorry, and I don't do any magic that'll be entertaining for you all. Maybe if you asked Natsu or Gray they'd be better suited to the task." However any magic shows that might have been were interrupted by the call for the monorail. Looks like we were going home.

The ride back down the mountain was faster than the walk up, taking only an hour and a half to get back to the town station where we piled out of the carriage with thirteen over excited children and a rather travel sick Natsu, however the moment he stumbled out onto solid ground he recovered with a roar of fire into the air. Natsu ran and yelled with them, just as much a kid as they were and I had to race after him and the others to try and bring them all back. "Wait! You can't go getting lost now, we need to get home! NATSU!"

Gray and Loke found it highly amusing, laughing freely at my frantic state so I sent them searching for Natsu and the kids before they could destroy the place. They went without question, much to my pleasure. "You're back!" I turned around at Anna's call and suddenly found her arms flung around me in a tight embrace. "And you saved the town! We've already had a radio through telling everyone about what you and your team did. You singlehandedly took down an entire mercenary and wizard group!"

"Oh I don't know about that, I didn't do much really." I answered her with a blush, touching my cheeks as I felt them burn bright red. "The boys did most of the work. Is everyone in your village alright? The ones who were affected by the shadow magic, are they better now?" Anna nodded her head with a bright smile, overjoyed as she gripped my hands.

"Everyone is fully recovered. They don't remember anything that happened but they're safe and that's all that matters. We owe you and your team so much, we're completely in your debt." She told me as the townsfolk began to gather, all murmuring in agreement. My eyes spotted Marcos and as he smiled invitingly at me I blushed even further.

"Oh…well…thank you but it was nothing really, we were glad we could help."

"Yeah! You got that right." Natsu announced loudly as he suddenly appeared at my side, causing me to squeak and jump back from him only to collide into Gray's bare chest which my hands accidentally brushed against as he rolled his eyes.

"Would you calm down? Jeez, you're scaring Fae again."

"Agh!" I yelped, throwing myself back from Gray with flailing arms as I blushed furiously, my entire face turning beetroot red as I tripped over my own foot only to fall into waiting arms.

"Honestly, they're so dim-witted, am I right sweetheart?" Loke winked down at me with a charming smirk which would make any other woman squeal and fall into his arms. Well, if they hadn't done already like I had.

"Let me down Loke!" I flailed, pressing my eyes shut as Natsu and Gray enclosed on one another and I found myself trapped in an argument triangle, the three of them gripping one another by the shoulders and began to try and shove each other out of the way.

"Would you guys leave her alone? Give her some space!"

"You're the one not backing off!" Natsu yelled back at Gray as the two glowered at one another, Loke smirking as he joined in the struggle.

"I think you both need to back off, it's obvious Fae needs someone with more sensitivity to take care of her. You two will just tear her to pieces." I did not like that graphical image of Gray and Natsu playing tug of war with my arms. As the villagers looked on in stunned disbelief, I felt myself shrinking further and further into myself until finally, I exploded.

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT IT?!" My palms flew outward in a horizontal line to slam into Loke and Gray's face as I cracked back my head to hit Natsu in the nose, taking all three of them down with just one move and granted me the breathing space I needed. Taking a deep breath I relaxed and placed a hand on my hip, turning to look at them all in turn. "Honestly, is this the kind of behaviour you should be demonstrating in front of everyone? We're representing Fairy Tail here, so let's have less of the violence and more decorum, if you don't mind." I scolded them all before reaching out and lifting Mimi up onto my hip, making her giggle as she wrapped herself around me. "Now we've got a long way to go so let's get moving. I think these little one's need to go home."

"Yeah!" They all cheered, making me laugh as they danced around me, pulling on my hand to get going as quickly as possible.

"Damn, I think I preferred her when she was shy and quiet." Gray muttered as he rubbed his face then got up, pulling on a shirt and I heard numerous ladies groan in disappointment. The villagers all cheered and celebrated as we departed, lending us a truck which all the children climbed into the of and pulled me in with them for the ride as Gray took the passenger's seat after shoving Natsu out of the way. I have to admit, I feel safer knowing that Natsu wasn't anywhere near the controls.

"Hey kids! You ready to go home?" Natsu yelled as he leaped into the back with us and took a seat, grinning from ear to ear before casually leaning back. "How about I tell you guys the story about how I took down a hundred demons all on my own!" Instantly he had a very eager and attentive audience so he spouted into an extravagant tale of his heroics with Happy at his side, said cat coming and settling on my lap with a fish he had found amongst the provisions.

I sat back and stroked his fur, leaning against the truck's cabin where Gray and Loke sat inside with our driver. The moment we started moving, however, Natsu suddenly went very green in the face and stopped talking, groaning as he then flung his head over the side and retched, making me sit up in alarm. "Natsu! What's wrong?"

"It's his motion sickness, it gets pretty bad." Happy explained as the children all squealed in disgust and pushed themselves as far away from Natsu as possible as I got up and moved over to his side, worriedly rubbing his back as he moaned loudly.

"Stop…moving…ground…bleh!" I flinched at the horrible sound before I pulled Natsu upright and leaned him against me.

"Just try to relax Natsu and lay down." I instructed him and he did so, still groaning with his eyes pressed tightly shut against the motion of the moving truck, his head resting in my lap as I began to run my fingers through his hair in long and measured motions. As Natsu gradually began to relax against me I found myself starting to hum quietly, my eyes closed as I serenely sat.

Happy breathed in awe, intrigued at my voice and lay down against me also, sitting on Natsu's chest as the other kids all sat around me, listening to me singing also as a soft glow began to shine from my skin, gentle and soft like the gleam of a raindrop in the sunlight. Warmth radiated from me and everyone was instinctively drawn towards it and one by one they closed their eyes and fell asleep against one another, not even bothered by the bumpiness of the drive. Even Natsu was snoring away, stretched out across me.

With everyone happily settled I continued to stroke Natsu's hair, my mind drifting distantly as I then turned my face into the wind and looked up at the sky, watching as the clouds drifted past before eventually falling asleep myself, still tired from the past few days.

We drove through the day where Natsu remained asleep like a log until we stopped for the night where he bounced back to his old, excitable self, chasing the children around as I prepared dinner for everyone. The children were a joy to have around, all of them smiling and laughing at Natsu as he kept them out of my hair and helped to tire them out so that when it was time to get back in the truck to continue driving through the night they fell right asleep and he did too.

Gray and Loke swapped with the driver at various intervals during the night so that they could all get some sleep. The night was clear and I gazed up at the full moon with a smile, admiring the stars before I looked away, still smiling with closed eyes. "I know you're up there mom." I whispered as I hugged two of the kids to me, their light snores resonating against me. "Somewhere among the heavens where you've always belonged. I'll always miss you no matter how much time passes, I just hope I've made you proud. I'm trying, I really am. I hope you're watching."

When the dawn came I opened my eyes and looked towards the horizon where I suddenly grinned and started to shake the children awake, pointing to where they looked and blinked their sleepy little eyes. One by one they gasped and their faces brightened, standing up as they leaned over the side of the truck as it rose over the hill and the glittering sea lay before us in the distance, resting behind the glorious city that was our home.

As we entered the city the children started to cheer, practically leaping up and down so I roused Natsu from his sleep, ignoring his grumblings and woke him up. "Natsu! We're back, wake up Natsu! You too Happy!"

"Huh wha-?" Natsu snorted as he awoke then looked up into my smiling face. "We're home? Alright!" The kids were making such a noise that people began to gather to see what was going on as we stopped in the main city square where I leaped out first, summersaulting over my head then twirled around with laughter, overjoyed to be home.

"Catch me Fae! Catch me!" Mimi squealed then leaped from the truck so I caught her in my arms with another round of laughter, lifting her up in the air as we spun around together and the children all jumped into our arms as Natsu and I helped them to the ground.

A curious murmuring rippled through the gathered crowd, however as Rima pushed her way through, limping slightly, I turned around as I caught her scent and revealed Mimi in my arms. I saw Rima gasp, her hand flying to her mouth as tears filled her eyes, a sob escaping her as Mimi finally saw her. "Granny Rima! Granny!" She yelled then ran to her grandmother, leaping out of my arms and the two of them fell to their knees as they embraced one another with sobbing tears flowing down their cheeks.

"Tobias!"

"Mom!"

"Oh! Janiya! Harrison!"

"Mommy! Daddy!" The calls began to ring out as parents and children rushed to one another until all thirteen had returned to their parents. I stood there with a small smile on my face, hair fluttering in the breeze with my hands clasped together in front of me as Natsu, Gray and Loke all came and stood behind me, placing their hands on my shoulders and I turned my smile to them all.

"We should go home." I said and turned, starting to walk away.

"Wait! We owe you for completing the quest and bringing all of our children home." Rima called out to me as she shakily got to her feet with Mimi's help, the little one hanging onto her grandmother's sleeve as she approached me, reaching into her shawl and drew out a purse into her willowy fingers then held it out to me.

I turned around and looked at it blankly, completely haven forgotten about the fact that there was a reward for the completing the quest. My eyes raised and looked to each child who stood with their parents, not a dry eye among them. They all smiled at me and I could see the glow of their happiness radiating from them as they all clung to one another, even the father's holding their children close with silvery trails down their cheeks.

Stepping forwards I lifted my hand and placed it over the purse, giving Rima a serene smile before gently pushing it back towards her, making her gasp in surprise as I then reached out and ran the back of my hand down Mimi's damp cheek affectionately. "It was my pleasure." I murmured to them all before turning and walking away, keeping my head held high as everyone stared after me in shock before all at once, the children let out a thunderous cheer followed by their parents and everyone else in the crowd.

I continued walking but lowered my head to cover my eyes with my messy black fringe, still smiling as a rosy blush touched my cheeks. "Hey Fae! Wait up!" Natsu called after me and I heard his running feet as he and the others followed after me. "That was pretty cool what you did, I knew you belonged in Fairy Tail. Come on! We've got an awesome story to tell and I can't wait to rub it in everyone's face that I saved the day!" He cheered, making me laugh as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me along with him, making me run as Happy flew alongside us. Natsu kicked both doors open himself then sucked in a deep breath to bellow at the top of his lungs. "WE'RE BACK!"

"Natsu! Fae! Oh I'm so relieved to see you're both okay." Mirajane said as everyone gave a cheer of greeting, Loke and Gray catching up with us at a little slower rate. Natsu jumped straight into telling everyone what happened in between bites of food as I chuckled, shaking my head as he tore into some mutton with Gray contradicting and correcting him on many instances, reminding him how he wasn't even there for the beginning.

"That's so not what happened, you just showed up for the end when we'd had everyone beat already." He argued and Natsu leaped up at the challenge.

"Oh yeah? Well how about you and I settle this once and for all, whoever wins is right!"

"You got it!" Gray yelled back and the two instantly leaped into a fight as I frowned and scratched my head.

"We're not back five minutes and you two are already fighting? What am I going to do with you?" I sighed before shrugging with exasperation, shaking my head before squeaking as someone tackled me around the middle with a hug.

"You're back! It's so good to see you, I was worried!" Levy squealed as she hugged me tightly, surprising me at first before I relaxed and hugged her back. "So what really happened? You have to tell me everything, we're all so proud of you!" I blushed deeply and made to tell her everything when a loud shout sounded from above.

"YOU TWO CUT IT OUT! THAT'S AN ORDER!" A huge shape loomed over the entire guild and I screeched and quickly leaped behind Erza who had walked forwards, making her blink at me before she laughed as the giant man stomped a foot down on Gray and Natsu, squishing them into the ground and effectively pacifying them.

"Relax, that's just Master Markov. You two haven't met yet have you?" Erza questioned and my eyes widened as I cowered behind her.

" _That's_ the master? He's gigantic! How did he even get inside without breaking in the door?" A small cough sounded and I looked to the side to see a tiny man in a jester's suit smiling up at me, barely a foot tall. I blinked at him then looked around to find that the giant was gone. Where'd he go?

"Hello there, nice to finally meet you properly Fae. I've heard glowing reports about you from all over Magnolia, it's nice to know that _some_ of my children can control themselves when out doing a job." He said with a pointed glare to Natsu and Gray behind him as they stood up, brushing themselves off and pointedly looked away from one another with a humph. "I'm Markov, master of Fairy Tail guild."

"What?! But…you were…you were…" I stared at him then to the vacant space where the giant had stood just a few moments prior. "Um…hello sir, it's nice to meet you too." I corrected myself, hastily recalling my manners as I knelt down and offered him my hand for him to shake which he took. "I want to thank you for accepting me into Fairy Tail even though you didn't know who I was, I greatly appreciate it."

"No need to thank me, I know greatness when I see it, and although you were shivering and mumbling nonsense when I last saw you, I could tell you were something special." He chuckled before reaching out a hand which suddenly stretched and before I could do anything, playfully smacked my rear, making me squeak and leap backwards at the sneaky move he'd pulled, staring at him in disbelief. "Now you behave yourself." He chuckled before whirling around to face Natsu. "And as for _you_ , you dared disobey my orders and went out on a quest without permission and within your curfew! I WAS PRACTICALLY TEARING MY HAIR OUT!"

"But you don't have any hair." Natsu answered stupidly then yelped as the master suddenly grew ten times in size, making me gulp and shift back behind Erza again as she chuckled, watching with amusement as Natsu got his butt kicked by an ancient but scarily powerful old man. Some homecoming.

Once Natsu had been peeled off the wall Levy and I sat down where I began to tell the story of what happened in honest detail with everyone suddenly crowding around to listen. Even Cana lent an ear as she binged on her alcohol.

The story took a lot longer than I thought it was and I skipped over the bit where I'd almost lost it against the mercenaries whilst Loke and Gray were still circling around. Everyone seemed highly impressed, however they were also shocked when Gray let it slip that I didn't take the money either times it was offered to me. "What do you mean you didn't take the reward? That money was yours by right! You earned it!" One of the guys questioned in disbelief so I just shrugged modestly.

"They needed it more than I did." I replied simply as Levy smiled at me.

"Well I think you did an amazing job. You should take it easy for a few days and relax. If you want you can come and crash at my place until you get back on your feet, there's plenty of room and I'd appreciate the company." She said to me and I blinked at her as she then leaned forwards to whisper to me. "Loke suggested it would be a good idea, he might have mentioned you were looking for a roommate." I blinked in surprise then looked over to the corner where Loke usually sat, already sporting a pair of his ladies as they fawned over him.

His eyes turned and caught me staring at him with slightly wide eyes. Loke smirked and gave me a wink which I blushed at, smiling uneasily before looking away, still blushing as I looked down at my hands in my lap. Levy arched an eyebrow at me curiously then giggled, hiding her mouth behind a hand as she caught my look. "So what do you say?"

"Thank you Levy, I'd really like that. If it's definitely alright with you."

"Hey, don't sweat it." She winked at me. "After all, I could use with the company, so it's really for my benefit I also rent a room up at Fairy Hills but that's where I keep all my books so there isn't really enough room for me." I smiled at her and nodded my head to her. The rest of the day was spent hanging with everyone at the guild, keeping Gray and Natsu from fighting each other and wrecking the guild in the process however as I tried to push the two of them away from one another at one point, Gray suddenly stepped back and looked at me.

"Hey Fae, what's the deal with your magic? I really don't get it." He said and Natsu cracked his knuckles.

"Oh yeah, you were doing this fancy thing with rocks but then you suddenly exploded. What happened?" He questioned and I blushed slightly.

"Well, I was using earth magic because I'd absorbed it from the mage who was using it against me, remember? I can absorb the magic of others and I used it against the others so that they couldn't escape." I explained, rubbing the back of my head with a guilty blush. "It's been a while since I've used magic that way so I'm glad I wasn't rusty."

"And that light? That was you wasn't it?" Gray pressed and I lowered my head slightly, wringing my wrists nervously behind my back.

"Yeah, kind of. That was part of my main source of magic, the one I inherited from my mother. It's not offensive by any means, I can just channel the pure energy from my magic and manifest it into an outward appearance. It counteracts all forms of shadow magic so I used it to deal with the shadow mages when they were beginning to get the upper hand."

"Wow, that's pretty awesome!"

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed, flying up with a punch of his paw. "So what else can you do Fae? Do you have any other kinds of magic?" I gave him a cheeky grin and tapped my nose.

"That's a secret for now." I told them all before skipping away happily to try and find some clothes to change into. I moved in with Levy that same day where we agreed to split the rent which made it far more affordable for the both of us.

With my newfound confidence I took more daring quests on and brought in bigger rewards which kept me above water comfortably. Sometimes I went out with Levy and the two boys Jet and Droy, sometimes we went out just the two of us when the boys wanted a break. Other times I went on my own when I was certain that it was the best idea and that I could handle the situation myself, but occasionally Natsu and Gray would tag along with me with the excuse of either they wanted to keep an eye on me or that they needed an excuse to get out of the guild for some fresh air.

My life really began to settle at Fairy Tail. They truly were like my family and I learned more and more about them every day from all their joys, quirks and habits to their grievances, fears and sorrows. In return I told them a little more about myself as I found myself opening up like a blooming flower in spring, finding myself amongst their ranks. Telling them my favourite things and what my dreams were though I kept a tight lid on my past.

By telling them about what my family had done to me…I would felt completely vulnerable, as if I had been stripped away from the only armour I wore but Erza comforted me with encouraging words each time the memories got me down, seemingly understanding how I felt. "You may feel vulnerable now but in time you'll be able to turn the weakness you feel into armour that makes you stronger. Your past may haunt you but if you learn to master your fears then there is nothing they can ever do to hurt you again. As a member of Fairy Tail and our family, nothing can touch you. We won't let them. Fairy Tail protects its own, we never give in and we never quit! We are a guild that stands together as that is how we become stronger as one!"

I remember her words to this day and I shall never forget them, as even in the darkest hours where I struggled most with my demons, her words gave me strength and I believed in them with my entire soul. They were the light that made me feel safe in the night, the echo that I followed to find my way home and they were the strength that helped make my armour impenetrable.


	10. New Times and Good Friends

**So this is the chapter where the anime and manga come into fruition, so we get to meet Lucy :) You'll notice that there's a huge change in Fae because she's spent so much time in the guild which is to be expected as they kind of brought her out of her shell. I's always intended for her to be kickass and strong however I wanted there to be character development. Anyway, enjoy!**

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My eyes were drawn to the front doors as they were kicked open in complete Natsu style, his voice bellowing out over the entire guild hall thanks to his massive lungs. "We made it back alive!"

"We're home!" Happy cheered, greeting everyone with his wide grin as everyone turned then called out their various greetings. I sat up a little straighter at the table I was reading at with Levy, chuckling to myself at Natsu's rather dramatic entrance. My attention then turned to a blonde haired girl around our age as she stepped into the guild hall after Natsu, wearing a white and blue shirt with a pleated skirt of navy, making me arch my eyebrow curiously.

"Wonder who that is." Levy said as she glanced over the top of her book.

"No idea, but Natsu never brings home a girl. That's Loke's forte." I noted with a glance over to my shoulder to Loke who sat in his usual spot with two girls hanging off him. He looked up upon hearing his name and gave me a smirk so I smiled back at him warmly before returning my attention to the stranger. She was pretty, with deep brown eyes which contrasted rather intriguingly with her golden blonde hair which was pulled back into a small side ponytail with the rest of her locks hanging down her neck, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around the guild hall.

Suddenly I heard a crash and looked around to see Natsu had already kicked someone in the face, eyes blazing in rage as he cracked his knuckles. "You lied about that Salamander! I'm gonna kick your butt!" He yelled as his victim sat up quickly from the wreck of the table that now lay in splinters, the girl shrieking in horror.

"Don't get mad at me, I'm not the one to blame here! I just passed along a rumour I heard!"

"It was just a rumour?!"

"You wanna fight?"

"Let's go!" Natsu practically shrieked and I groaned, closing my book and tucked it into my satchel as I pinched the bridge of my nose, my fingers combing through the long tassels as Natsu dove straight into the fight, dragging anyone and everyone in with him.

"Now, now Natsu, I think you need to calm do-AAAGGHHHH!" Happy, who had tried to be diplomatic, was suddenly kicked backwards by a stray knee and I leaped into action, springing from the table where Levy continued to read, completely oblivious to the fight around her as I raced over the table then jumped into the way of Happy, catching him in my arms then grunted at the impact as I was thrown backwards a few paces. "Wow, that was tense…thanks Fae."

"Don't mention it Happy." I smiled at him then ducked under a leg that had swung our way by accident, keeping Happy tucked in my arms as I balled one fist and punched the idiot who had almost hit us in the jaw. "Watch where you're fighting, punk!" He dropped to the floor and I lifted my chin as I walked away, expertly dodging flying drinks, tables, chairs and limbs as I made my way to stand somewhere safe.

"So Natsu finally made it back, huh?!" Gray demanded, getting up from his table and I watched as the poor girl shrieked again, seeing that he was rather underdressed. "It's time we settle things once and for all!"

"Gray, your clothes?" Cana suggested and I giggled quietly as Gray spun around from where he was stomping over to where Natsu was brawling.

"I don't have time for that! Come over here and fight me Natsu!" Gray yelled, kicking a chair out of his way as Natsu held one of the guys in an arm lock with his fingers shoved practically up his nose. I winced away from the disgusting sight. That's just gross.

"Not until you put some clothes on!" The soft clunk of wood against wood made me look around to Elfman as he walked casually over, arms folded across his thick chest as I ducked under another swinging fist and punched outward, not even looking where my fist landed to send two of the guys flying backwards.

"It's not even noon and you boys are whining like spoiled babies. I'm a real man! You want me to prove it to you?" He demanded as the girl slapped a hand to her face.

"I can't believe he's encouraging them." In answer both Natsu and Gray swung around and balled their fists, powering them both into Elfman who was thrown into the air as the girl gasped in shock. "They knocked him out that easy?" As I jumped backwards with Happy, my back brushed against hers and we both turned to look at one another in surprise so I smiled.

"It's about the only time they work together without complaint when they're taking someone down. Hi, I'm Fae, it's nice to meet you." I introduced, shifting Happy into one arm to shake the girl's hand as she sighed with seeming relief.

"Lucy, nice to meet you too." She smiled at me warmly, gripping my hand firmly but now domineeringly.

"Jeez, it's so noisy in here." Loke drawled and I glanced his way as he smirked over at us, his eyes taking in Lucy's rather appealing form before he was struck on the head with a glass, making me splutter with laughter as he scowled and his girlfriends both gasped and demanded to know if he was okay as he stood up. "I'm gonna go fight, but only to protect you two." He winked at them so I rolled my eyes as I glanced over to Lucy who marked a giant cross on Loke's picture in some magazine she was carrying.

"Well he's definitely off my list. What the heck is wrong with these people? There's not one sane person in the whole place!" Lucy announced so I laughed with an arch of my eyebrow, making her spin around and hastily try to correct myself. "Except you of course! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or anything!"

"It's okay really, don't worry, I'm just teasing." I promised as Mirajane walked over to us.

"Hello! Are you new here?" She asked Lucy who turned around. Her jaw went slack and her voice went up several pitches like a fan girl, staring at Mirajane with a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"It's Mirajane…in the flesh!" Mirajane smiled as Lucy took a deep breath to get herself back under control then pointed to the rabble as they continued to battle it out, getting all their frustrations out on one another. "Um, don't you think we should try to stop them or something?"

"Wanna try?" I offered her with a chuckle but she paled drastically and bit her lip with uncertainty.

"It's always like this around here, I just tend to leave them alone. Besides-agh!" Elfman suddenly flew out of nowhere and slammed against his sister, crushing her into a broken table though she somehow managed to keep smiling. "It's kind of fun don't you think?" She rasped before slumping.

"Agh! Don't die Mirajane!" Lucy was suddenly powered into by Gray who…is he _naked_?! Oh that is just too gross! I quickly closed my eyes with a yell of horror and covered Happy's eyes too just for safety, turning away as Natsu whirled Gray's underwear around with a victorious grin on his face.

"Give me back my underwear, jerk!" Gray yelled as Lucy yelled, covering her eyes quickly as I stood beside her in a similar state of disgust. That's going to scar me for a while. Gray seriously needs to sort out his stripping habit because it's becoming a little too much to deal with. Gray's eyes suddenly turned to Lucy and he faced her with a serious expression on her face as she recoiled from him further. "Excuse me miss but could I please borrow your underwear?" Okay, that's just wrong on so many levels.

"Gray! Go get your own underwear!" I yelled as Lucy smartly bat him away with a table leg, however Loke then chose this moment to play the 'hero' and swept her off her feet, panicking her even further. No wonder I was so terrified when I first met these people, I've only just realised how menacing they can appear.

"These guys are so insensitive, a woman has _needs_." As Elfman powered his fist into Loke's face I caught Lucy over my shoulder having dove forwards, pulling her away from the danger zone with Happy still tucked under my arm as he wailed, pressing his eyes tightly shut.

"Real men fight with their fists Loke!" But then Natsu sent a flying kick straight to Elfman, throwing him back for the second time that day.

"I told you to butt out Elfman!" At that point I had reached the bar where I gently set Lucy down on her feet, reaching out to catch her elbow and steady her as Happy then jumped onto the bar top, hiding behind the both of us as Lucy groaned.

"Are you alright?" I asked her worriedly and she shook her head before nodding.

"Yeah I'm fine, just…I wasn't quite expecting this." She admitted and I chuckled, telling her that I was the same when I first arrived.

"Ugh, it's so loud. So much for having a drink to relax." Cana muttered before spinning around in her seat and lifted a card between her fingers, glaring out at the brawlers as it glowed brightly and a sphere of magic appeared before her. "That's enough you guys, I suggest you knock it off."

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Gray demanded, preparing an ice attack as Elman began to roar, changing his fist into a rock arm with his own magic whilst Loke activated one of his rings, preparing a twister attack as he narrowed his eyes at everyone.

"You punks can be such a nuisance."

"I'm ready for ya!" Natsu answered, his fists already alight with flames as I leaned back against the bar and faced the fight with an arched eyebrow.

"They always fight like this?" Lucy questioned shrilly, holding Happy up as a shield as he purred happily.

"Uh huh."

"You don't seem worried!" She answered, shrinking back but then peaked out as I chuckled.

"There's no need, just wait and see." I promised her with a wink, jumping up onto a seat then leaned back to relax and watch the show. Just as expected, a huge foot slammed down on the floor with a vibrating boom, causing everyone to freeze in place as the master appeared before us.

"WOULD YOU FOOLS STOP BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN?!"

"He's huge!" Lucy gasped, dropping Happy to the ground in shock and he cried out before spreading his wings and flying a circle to then hide behind my shoulder again, quite happy to use me as a shield as I continued to smile.

"Oh I'm sorry master, I didn't realise you were still here." Mirajane said sweetly, making Lucy do a double take.

"Did you say master?!" I was about to explain things to her when Natsu's laughter rang out, his fists placed against his hips in a victory stance as he stood completely oblivious to the foot that was descending upon him, courtesy of master Markov.

"Talk about a bunch of babies! Looks like I've won this round you guys!" The last of his sentence was cut off as Markov squished Natsu into the ground, making me splutter with giggles and laughter, kicking out my feet as my skirt fluttered from my movements.

"You asked for that one Natsu." I called out to him before springing elegantly from my seat and walked over him as Markov turned his attention to a rather panicked Lucy. "You're an idiot Natsu, you know that right?" I said as I lifted him off the ground and sat him upright and made sure he was still in one piece as he groaned.

"I totally won that…right?" I sighed in defeat, not bothering to try and see if his head was still intact. To be honest I don't think it had ever been fully functional. Master Makarov was a little annoyed at some of us because of the recent pile of complaints he'd received from the magic council, but then he gave this awesome speech about how we should just ignore the council and follow our hearts because our instincts know better than to follow the rules. Our master is the greatest.

So after things had settled down I made Gray put on his clothes then helped clean up the mess, however I was surprised to find that when I looked up, Natsu was gone and so was Lucy. "Hey, where did Natsu go?" I asked Mira as she pottered around behind the bar.

"Oh he went out to Mt Mokabe to find Macao who's been gone a long time and Lucy followed him. Aren't those two just adorable?" She giggled as she cleaned one of the mugs.

"The cutest." I answered distantly, though my thoughts were elsewhere. Natsu has only just got back and he's already gone out again? He just doesn't know when to quit but that's just what makes him Fairy Tail, we're all the same.

"Don't look so glum princess, that face of yours is too pretty to be so down." Loke said as he slid to my side, his arm easily slipping around me and I lifted my head, waking from my worried state to blink at him. "How about you and I hit the town and I'll put a smile back on those fine lips of yours?" He suggested and I found myself smiling slightly at his words, knowing full well that he was only flirting with me.

"Would your girlfriends be joining us if I accepted?" I questioned him smartly as I pushed his arm from around me and stood up straight, making Loke chuckle.

"I'm sure we could escape them for a while." He offered but I just shook my head, reaching up and began to fiddle with my hair.

"You're terrible Loke, you should know by now that it's useless trying to flirt with me. Most of the time I don't realise what you're doing and upon the occasion that I do, I always turn you down. Why keep trying?"

"A guy can live in hope." He answered easily, lifting his hands in a shrug but then his two girls took this as an invitation and quickly slipped their arms around him with tiny giggles whilst sending me tiny glares which I easily brushed off. I was used to it by now. Whenever Loke and I did hang out together just the two of us, we were usually tailed by his gang of girlfriends who would shoot murder into my back even if we were just taking a walk and talking.

"Well, you keep on hoping." I said, patting him gently on the shoulder before walking away and giving a wave over my shoulder. "I'm going to find Romeo, he's probably upset about his father being missing." I didn't look behind me as I knew that I would only blush if I did as I could feel Loke watching me as I walked away.

I knew where to find little Romeo as he often went to a special place when he was upset. He'd climb up the oak tree in the park, the one I had adopted as my favourite. I stopped and bought ice cream for the both of us then carried it over to the tree, climbing the hill before calling out. "Romeo? Oh Romeo? Wherefore art thou Romeo?" I called up with a smile before seeing someone shift in the tree. "There you are, come on down and talk with me, I bought you your favourite ice cream."

Romeo came down in a sombre silence, jumping down from the tree and hung his head sadly in an attempt to hide his tears. "Hey, there's no need to be so worried. Your dad is as tough as old nails and Natsu has gone after him to make sure he's okay." I said to him as I sat down on the ground and held out the chocolate ice cream for Romeo which he took mechanically.

"Thanks." I paused a moment, waiting as Romeo sat down with me and despondently began to lick at his treat as I began to eat my own, vanilla. It had become my overall favourite and was my go to ice cream for any occasion. "He should have been back ages ago. What if he's hurt? What if he's…he's…I asked him to go!" Romeo suddenly cried and flung the ice cream away, making me blink before I smiled softly down at him.

"Hey, don't doubt your dad. He may not be as young as he used to be but that doesn't mean he's lost his stuff. He's a great wizard and you are his son. I bet you'll be even greater one day and he'll be so proud of you. Makarov thinks the same, that's why he hasn't sent anyone after Macao sooner. The master has great faith in your dad so you should too." I soothed as Romeo cried into his hands, my arm wrapping around him and I drew him closer to me.

He turned and clung onto me, sobbing into my shirt as I hugged him to me, calmly finishing my ice cream as he continued to cry until slowly he calmed down just as I finished my ice cream, giving me my other hand free to pull him closer, pressing my cheek to the top of his head. "You know the new guild member went with Natsu to find your father. Her name's Lucy. Between her and Natsu, your dad has no choice but to come home safe and sound. I bet he's just gone a little overboard with the Vulcan destroying. He'll be a real champ when he gets back and you get to be as proud of him as any other wizard boy can be."

"You…you really think so?" He asked, lifting his head to look up at me and I nodded my head with confidence, making him smile slightly and rub his eyes to get rid of his tears. "Thanks Fae, you're the greatest." He told me, making me chuckle as I let go of him and leaned back on my hands under the oak, taking in a deep breath.

"I know." I winked then lifted my head, sensing three boys approaching. When Romeo noticed them coming towards us I noticed a distinct change in him. His body tensed and I could smell his nervousness upon the beads of sweat that rose to his skin, making me frown slightly as he shrank back slightly then bravely got to his feet, clenching his little fists at his sides.

"What do you guys want?" He asked a little warily and I watched them carefully as the three boys smirked toothily, their eyes narrowed and I could sense their meanness in thick, sour waves. So, these were the bullies that Romeo had mentioned to me once. I was hoping I'd get to meet them someday.

"We saw you crying like a little baby, is that your big sister?" The tallest of them asked as he leaned forwards, hands on hips with an intimidating glare which Romeo did not back down from.

"Yes." Romeo answered and I looked to him in surprise before smiling warmly and quietly, touched that he viewed me in such a way. "And I wasn't crying! You guys are just stupid." Romeo answered but the three boys merely sneered down at him.

"You're a big cry baby and you know it. So if that's your sister then where's your dad you're always talking about? Didn't you say he was a great wizard? Where is he now?" The middle one interrogated, stepping closer and this time Romeo backed up a step, my eyes narrowing slightly. I didn't move to stop them as I wanted to see what Romeo would do by himself without my help. I knew him well enough he wouldn't want me interfering unless it was absolutely necessary.

"He's out on a quest slaying Vulcans, so you shut up about my dad! He's the greatest dad ever and I don't care about what you say about wizards, we're strong and I'm going to be one someday!" Romeo declared boldly and I silently applauded him.

"You'll never be strong. We're going to be knights and we're all going to teach you wizard respect! All you ever do is destroy stuff and make things worse. I bet your dad has already destroyed the mountains or even gotten himself killed." Romeo gasped and tears began to rise to his eyes so he pressed his eyes tightly shut to stop them from falling.

"Shut up! You guys are just dumb and won't ever understand what it is to have magic!"

"Like we want your stupid magic. We'll teach you what it is to fight without magic!" The tallest bully shouted and balled a fist, swinging it straight for Romeo's face. My feet were moving before my mind had even caught up to what I was doing. In the blink of an eye I was standing behind the three bullies and I had the taller one's wrist locked in my grip, lifting him off the ground as he yelled and struggled in the air. "Hey! Put me down! How did you move so fast?!"

"That's my little brother you were thinking of hurting. Did you really think I'd sit back and just let that happen?" I asked in a coldly calm voice, turning the kid around and gripped him by the front of his shirt, lifting him higher to my face as the other two stepped back in fear, staring at me as my eyes gushed with raging red. "When you mess with one member of Fairy Tail then you mess with _all_ of us and we do not accept mistreatment of any one of our members."

"But…but…he's not old enough to be a member!" The bully answered with false bravado, making me smirk as I pulled him even closer to my face so that our noses were almost touching.

"His father is a member and he's grown up in the guild. He's as much a member as I am. How about I teach _you_ boys a lesson on how we mages punish little pigs like you how to be better mannered and well behaved?" I suggested before dropping the boy to the floor as he trembled, my lips quirking into a smirk to reveal my fangs, causing them to quiver even further in fear. "Now run along little piggy, before I start to get hungry and don't you dare let me catch you picking on Romeo again, or you'll be sorry that I even decided to show you mercy. Scram!"

The three of them fled with a yell, racing for their lives as I ran a tongue over my fangs then closed my eyes, suppressing my inner demon before I exhaled, looking down to Romeo who beamed with clenched fists, laughing victoriously before looking to me. "Thanks Fae! You really are the best." He said to me and I gave him a warm smile.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for. Now, how about we get some a new ice cream cone? I think I can go for a second too." Romeo nodded his head eagerly so I took him back to ice cream parlour and bought him a large chocolate sundae with fudge sauce, cream, marshmallows and a large flake to boot. It worked in cheering him up and I sat there smiling with my simple vanilla sundae with toffee sauce and honeycomb pieces.

"That looks great Romeo, mind if I try some?" Loke's voice asked and I looked up in surprise to find him sliding into the booth with us, sitting next to me and casually leaned back with an arm almost habitually draping around my shoulders.

"Sure! Here you go." Romeo answered and pushed his sundae closer to Loke who took the spoon and took a scoop for himself, the sweet tastiness instantly putting a smile on his face. "It's my favourite, Fae got it for me to cheer me up."

"Is that so?" Loke questioned, turning his smile to me so I blushed and untucked my hair from my ear to hide my face as I nodded my head.

"Ice cream always makes me happy." I offered weakly. "Do you want some too Loke?"

"Sure, but please allow me to pay the bill." He said as he waved a waiter over with his hand, eyes still trained on me but I quickly looked at him with alarm.

"Oh no! I still owe you for when you brought me here. Let me buy them this time, it'll make me feel better if you do, otherwise I won't forgive you." I told him with a challenging look, a slight smirk on my lips as Loke arched an eyebrow at me in return.

"I don't know…what sort of gentleman would I be if I let you pay the bill?" He questioned me and my smirk deepened as I refused to break eye contact.

"A wise one." He laughed in answer as the waiter appeared at our table, waiting patiently as Loke sighed, still smiling.

"Okay, okay, you got me beat. I'll take the lemon meringue sundae please with a water." He ordered and I turned around with a smug expression, digging my spoon into my ice cream and made to place it in my mouth but then Loke's hand curled around my wrist and guided my own hand around along with the spoon before stealing my ice cream from me. My eyes widened and my jaw went slack as he enjoyed the sweet treat that was meant to be mine.

"Loke!" I yelled, snatching back my hand as he chuckled, taking the spoon from his mouth and dropping it back into my sundae.

"That one's just as good, but I think I prefer Romeo's." He decided with a wink at me, making me blush and quickly look away as Romeo watched us with a curious expression, peering at us closely.

"Well…next time ask. You know how much I love ice cream." I tossed back at him weakly as his own sundae appeared. Loke shared his with Romeo who made a funny face at the sour taste mixed with the extreme coldness due to it being freshly prepared, making me laugh quietly as Loke grinned, Romeo gripping his head before laughing with us.

Once the laughter had died down Romeo looked at the both of us and tilted his head to the side, a slight smile on his face as he then spoke. "So are you guys dating yet?" I almost spat out my ice cream, choking on it in my shock and Loke looked at me with concern as I coughed it down then shuddered at the coldness, my eyes tearing over as I gasped.

"Dating? We're not dating! Where on earth did you get such an idea as that?!" I panicked, glancing to Loke then ducked my head with a flush of embarrassment on my cheeks.

"It's just you act like you're together sometimes and you always blush when you're around him." My cheeks burned furiously as my stomach knotted with fluttering nerves.

"No I do not! You take that back Romeo or I'll find somewhere else for my ice cream to go!" I yelped, making Romeo smirk knowingly as he shrugged, turning to Loke instead.

"So are you? I know you have loads of girlfriends but is Fae one of them? Everyone back at the guild thinks you two look great together, I even heard my dad talking about it once. He said that Fae always worries about you whenever you're out on a quest all on your own and Levy said that Fae had stayed at your house once overnight…" I launched myself over the table and quickly shoved some of my ice cream into his mouth to keep him quiet, laughing nervously.

"I'm sure you're mistaken Romeo, trust me, there's nothing going on between Loke and I at all!"

"Right." Loke finally said as I pulled back and sat down once again, glancing to him a little nervously. "You're right when you say I date a lot of women, Romeo, but Fae's not one of them. She's far too special and I care about her too much to treat her like that. She's a great friend, almost like a sister." I watched him as he spoke with a slightly gaping mouth, blinking at him mechanically.

What I found strange was how much his words hurt, more than they should. Shouldn't I be happy that he cares for me? Yes I should, but why does it bother me so much? I feel like someone's twisting my gut and it's making me a little sick. It was rather peculiar and I didn't understand why I was reacting in such a way.

Quickly I looked down as to hide my face but as Loke turned his smile to me he stopped and registered my slightly dull expression, his brow furrowing slightly as Romeo continued to look between us, his anticipation rising and he leaned forwards intently.

Loke's eyes fixated on me quietly and for a while no one else spoke. I considered moving the conversation forward however as I tried to think of something else to say, I felt a hand gently rest over mine which lay clenched in my lap, making me catch my breath slightly as I looked down to see Loke holding my hand and I followed his arm to gradually lift my eyes to meet his.

They were so soft and warm, gazing at me with deep affection which caused me to relax into him. He gently pulled me closer so I shifted towards him and smiled happily as I lay my head against his chest, warmed by his duffel coat as he placed one arm around me and rested his hand over mine as it touched his chest. "Right." I agreed with a nod, closing my eyes into Loke's solid and comforting presence for a moment or so before I pulled away.

Romeo groaned quietly in disappointment almost so quietly that you couldn't hear it but I caught it because of my superior senses. We finished our ice creams with a clear air around us, all three of us smiling until it was time to go where I paid for the ice cream then head over towards Macao's place to wait with Romeo for his return.

Whilst we were there I started cleaning up the place, washing the dishes, scrubbing the floors, dusting around the furniture and such whilst Loke kept Romeo company until finally at sunset I was done and I head outside to sit on the steps with the boys, feeling a little tired from all that work but happily contented all the same. Macao isn't the most organised of people and his place can get pretty messy sometimes, as if Natsu and Gray had just had a fight inside.

"When will they be back?" Romeo asked for what must have been the hundredth time since leaving the ice cream parlour. "I'm worried Loke, what if he's hurt real bad?"

"Then he'll get better. Your dad is one of the most stubborn men I've ever met. I doubt those Vulcans even came close to seriously hurting him. More likely he gave them the worse end of the stick." Loke said with a smile and as he spoke I lifted my head suddenly and sniffed the air, pausing before smiling.

"Well look who it is." I murmured then pointed ahead of me, making Romeo look forwards. His eyes widened and filled with tears as he stared at his dad who had his arm slung around Natsu's shoulders for support, Lucy walking beside them with a smile.

"Dad!" Romeo leaped to his feet and ran forwards, flinging himself into the air at Macao and tackled him to the ground. "I take it back! I can take the teasing, just don't leave me ever again!" Romeo sobbed as his father chuckled and held his boy close, sitting in the middle of the street as I walked over to Natsu and Lucy with Loke behind me.

"Great job Natsu." Loke praised and the two bumped fists as I winked at Lucy who beamed back at me.

"Next time you see those boys, you ask them something. You ask them if their dads can take on nineteen Vulcans all on their own, because your old man can." Romeo's eyes glittered with pride before he flung his arms around his dad's neck tightly, holding onto him securely as I watched the sweet, heart warming scene before me. Macao looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks for looking out for my boy Fae, I owe you one."

"It was my pleasure." I assured him, smiling down at them both before turning and walking after Natsu and Lucy with Loke. We got a few feet away when we suddenly heard Romeo yelling out to Natsu, thanking him for bringing his dad home before thanking Lucy too, making her blush and smile modestly as she waved back at them. I let the two of them run back to the guild with their latest achievement, hanging back slightly as I regarded Lucy carefully.

"She's a bit like you, I think princess." Loke said to me, standing casually as he slid his glasses back up his nose. "So how about you and I take a walk? It's a beautiful sunset and you look radiant this evening." He suggested to me, making me smile and blush as his easy charm flattered my humility.

"If you like, you don't have to if you don't want to." I told him but he simply gave me a nudge as we began walking along the canal front, the water gleaming like a river of gold.

"I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with." He said and I felt the fluttering return to my stomach as I reached up and began to plait my hair over one shoulder, my eyes fixated on the ground as we walked together.

"You shouldn't flirt with me Loke, you're making me feel all embarrassed." I admitted, running my fingers through my hair before plaiting it all over again. "Besides, your girlfriends all hate me enough as it is, I don't like to give them cause for their dislike."

"I'm sorry, I guess it's just habit now." He chuckled as he walked beside me, hands in his pockets as he looked down at me before then looking ahead. We passed through the canal side market and I happened to look up as they were packing away at the weapons stand. I stopped in my tracks and stared at a pair of katana as they lay proudly in their wooden case, one of the blades bared for viewing.

They were beautiful and I instantly loved them. One was a black hilt with a white ribbon pluming from the pommel and white slashes in small triangles down the hilt whilst the other was the opposite, predominantly white with black slashes and a black ribbon. This one was out in the open and the sharp blade seemed to shine effortlessly in the light almost like a torch.

"What's caught your eye?" Loke asked with amusement upon seeing my expression and looked back to follow my line of sight, spotting the swords. "Could you use them?" I nodded my head silently, still transfixed by them but when the white blade was sheathed and both of them locked away I was awoken from the enchantment and looked away. "Do you want them?"

"With a price like that? No thanks. I'd sooner be broke buying ice cream." I dismissed, continuing to walk forwards however I cast a wistful glance over my shoulder back towards the stall. In my lack of attention I felt my foot suddenly slip over the edge and I gave a sharp cry as I fell to the side however Loke's quick reactions had him swiftly catching my wrists and with a firm tug pulled me securely into his chest. "Thanks Loke, sorry, I should have been paying attention."

"Always glad to be of assistance, princess." He winked at me before letting me go, however he placed me on his other side so that he stood between myself and the water as a precaution, making me blush slightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, you never need to ask something like _that_." I told him with a smile which he returned a little weakly before looking down to the ground distantly.

"What's…what's your star sign? When's your birthday?"

"Oh, I was born on the fifth of August, so my star sign is Leo." Loke inhaled sharply and jerked slightly, making me frown slightly but I quickly dismissed it, though I made a note to myself to keep an eye on him. He's acting strange all of a sudden. "What about you?"

"I'm…I'm Leo too." He answered a little distantly so I didn't press him to tell me when his birthday was, instead I halted as he came to a stop, looking down at his feet with a sad, vacant expression. What's gotten into him? This isn't like Loke at all. What's brought on this sudden change?

Deciding not to question him I inched a little closer to him, looking at him worriedly before I stepped around to face him fully and slipped my arms around his waist underneath his coat, jolting him awake as he blinked down at me but I didn't let go, only held him tighter as my cheek rested against his chest, my ear listening to the quickening of his beating heart before it settled into a steady rhythm as he relaxed.

His arms wound around me and I smiled into him as he rested his chin on the top of my head. "Your jacket is so cosy…" I murmured quietly to him and in answer he tightened his arms around me as the sun continued to set. His hair was a flaming orange as I tilted my head to gaze up at him, the light shining on my own hair and filling my orbs with a golden tint.

Feeling brave I rose up onto my toes slowly, taking a deep breath before I brushed my lips against Loke's cheek, feeling the smoothness of his skin whilst his distinct scent filled my nose, causing me to want to breathe him in as much as I could, to surround myself in his addictive smell until I was drunk on its intoxicating nature.

My lips lingered momentarily against him before I drew back, giving him another smile before I pulled away, his eyes staring at me widely as I blushed. "I'm always here if you need me Loke, don't forget that I'm your friend too and you can tell me anything. I won't judge." I promised him in a quiet voice before my eyes slid past him to where a group of his girlfriends stood, eyes blazing murderously at me.

"GET HER!"

"AGH!" I screamed upon instinct and flung myself back, recoiling as they all charged at me with their fists held aloft and their battle roar ringing through the air as Loke suddenly awoke from his trance. "I'm sorry! It's not what you think!" My wail fell on deaf ears and I ran for my life, being chased through the streets before I managed to slide into an alley where I caught my breath, watching as the blood lusting brides to be went charging past, thankfully oblivious to the fact that I'd given them the slip.

Once I was certain they were gone, I stuck to the shadows and made my way back home as fast as my feet could carry me.


	11. Spread Thy Wings

**Ugh, it's been such a long day and it's really late...but I'll post this chapter for you guys as a thanks for the reviews you've all posted, they make me very happy because I have no social life and don't get out much :) Anyway, hope you enjoy the next step in Fae's adventure, thank you for sticking with her this far! Also...we finally get to see what Fae's main source of magic is!**

* * *

The moment I got inside I slammed the door behind me and pressed my back to it, partially collapsing against it as I panted for breath. That was too close. I need to be more careful if I'm to go out and about with Loke alone. Those girls probably want my head on a silver platter.

"Wow, what happened to you?" Levy asked as she walked in from the living room, blinking at me as I recovered my breath.

"Loke's lackeys tried to run me down." I answered, rubbing the back of my head as I stood upright. "But I managed to escape them before they could catch me. They kinda saw me out on a walk with Loke and…may have seen me kiss his cheek." I admitted with a deep blush as Levy gasped, hands jumping to her mouth.

"What? No way! You kissed Loke? Tell me everything!" Levy commanded, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the living room and sat me down on the sofa where she eagerly waited for me to start spilling, so I exhaled then started from the beginning, explaining about Romeo and how Loke found us at the ice cream parlour, Macao's return and then about the walk.

"He just suddenly changed into a totally different person. He became all distant and kind of morose and I just wanted to comfort him so I gave him a hug and…kissed him on the cheek." I blushed heavily again as Levy's smile widened at me. "Yeah, so that's when I realised Loke's girlfriends were watching us and they started chasing me through the city. I swear, those girls are scarier than Erza."

"Wow, that's some story. I can't believe you kissed Loke though!"

"It was only on the cheek!" I protested with a whine, shaking my head into my fists as I turned beetroot red. "There's no law against that, we're just friends!" Levy's eyes twinkled prettily at me as she leaned closer, chin resting on her palms.

"But you _like_ him, don't you? I know you do Fae, don't try and hide it from me." She teased, starting to poke me until I was in a fit of giggles, squirming away from her until finally I caved in, unable to take anymore.

"Alright! Okay! I admit it, I like Loke. I _like_ him." Suddenly I stopped and blinked, staring in front of me, mouth completely agape. "I like Loke. Oh hell! I _like_ him! What do I do Levy? I've never had a crush on anyone before!" I gripped her arms and shook her in a panic, eyes wide at the sudden realisation.

"Calm down! There's nothing to panic about. The first and most important step in starting a relationship is to admit to yourself that you like someone more than just a friend." Levy said to me studiously, giving me a wink as she rested her hands on my arms. "Which you've just done. Congrats!"

"But I'm not like Loke's stupid fan girls Levy, I'm not that shallow, am I?"

"Heck no, you have far more substance than any of them and Loke would be lucky to have you. Do you know how he feels about you?" She questioned me and I thought for a moment. Sure he flirts with me whenever he gets the opportunity and never takes no for an answer but he's like that with every pretty girl he meets. In all honesty, he treats me no differently to them. The only exception is when we're out on a quest, he always looks out for me but that's acceptable because we're most likely doing highly dangerous things and it's necessary for us to take care of one another.

"We're just friends and he sees me as a sister, he told me so himself today." I said, growing despondent and looked down at my hands as they lay limply in my lap. Levy touched my shoulder comfortingly, lifting my chin to look at her as she gave an encouraging smile.

"Hey, don't give up so easy okay? Maybe Loke just said that to not give anything away, it could all be a façade. You should test the waters a little, weed it out of him then tell him how you feel, and when you do I want a full report." She gave me a grin and a thumbs up, making me chuckle.

"Okay, but only on the condition you promise to tell me the moment _you_ have a crush on someone, and I want reports too!"

"Deal." She agreed and we shook hands over the agreement, both of us smiling like idiots though I could feel the butterflies in my belly. Would things be different now between Loke and I now that I knew what I felt towards him? It had been so gradual that I probably would have never noticed had Levy not been so quick witted and attentive.

All I could do was wait and see.

* * *

To refill some of my coffers with money to pay the rent I had had to take on another quest, choosing one in that involved slaying a demon that had been terrorising a town for months and stealing all of their livestock. Since Makarov was away at a council meeting Mira cleared me to take the quest, however Natsu and Gray seemed pretty reluctant to let me go on my own.

"You can't slay a demon all by yourself, that's something only Erza can do!" Natsu was saying, blocking my way to the exit as I stood there impatiently, narrowing my eyes at them both as they stood with their arms folded like statues as they stood before me. "You're not going and that's that."

"The hothead is right Fae, this is way beyond you." Gray agreed stoically, making me grit my teeth as I took a deep breath. "Your magic isn't offensive, you'll be like a sitting duck!"

"Or a fish out of water!" Happy piped up unhelpfully as I folded my arms in front of me, glaring at them both.

"You know very little about my magic so there's no way I'm going to stand here and let you two tell me that I'm useless. Now get out of my way!"

"We didn't say that." Natsu argued, shoulders slacking slightly as Lucy walked over, glancing between us.

"What's going on?" She questioned as she stood to the side, confused as to why I was having a standoff with both Gray and Natsu, who for once were in agreement over something. Unfortunately that agreement was over me not going to earn myself my next months' rent.

"Fae has it in her head that she can go and slay a demon on her own." Gray informed her simply. "Which is, of course, a stupid idea but she doesn't want anyone going with her."

"Natsu gets motion sickness and you're still recovering from your last mission Gray, so neither of you are coming with me." I told them sternly. "Besides, it's a minor demon! Hardly anything to worry about and I need the money. There's no way I'm going to let you two be stubborn idiots and force me to stay when I know I can handle this!"

"We're just concerned for you that's all. How do we know you can take on this demon when we haven't really seen you take on anything more than a handful of mercenaries and one shadow mage? In fact, you didn't even beat her. Natsu did." Gray countered as I clenched my fingers into fists at my side, glaring at them heatedly.

"She was a psycho and I made a simple mistake in underestimating her. It won't happen again. Just let me pass before I force my way through!" Gray and Natsu looked at one another then back at me, neither of them saying anything but their faces told me everything. They weren't budging one inch. If Erza were here she would knock some sense into them but she was out on her own quest, so I was on my own this time.

Taking a deep breath I lowered my head, casting a shadow over my eyes then started to walk forwards. Natsu and Gray lifted their hands and held out their palms in unison, their faces grave and obstinate as I walked into their hands and stopped. I didn't want to hurt them, I really didn't. I couldn't bring myself to do it. With a firm push I felt them send me a step backwards and I did not retaliate, feeling time slow as I stepped back away from them and let the poster fall from my fingers, floating silently to the ground with a rocking motion as I kept my head bowed.

"It's for your own good Fae. You'll thank us later." Gray said to me in a condescending tone which made me angry inside.

"You're not ready." Natsu agreed. Everything was silent in the hall and I could feel everyone watching us as I trembled slightly, forcing myself to keep from crying. Lucy looked at me sadly, her eyes slightly pitying as everyone else kept their silence.

Unable to take anymore I walked forwards and pushed them both aside and this time they let me go, moving out of my way as I walked dejectedly out of the guild hall. They didn't believe in me. I thought by now they would trust me to take on a mission like this by myself, it's not like I haven't done so before. I'd helped them take down other monsters and even Loke's bandit group he'd attempted to take on alone previously. That poison mage had been a problem but I'd manage to subdue him with my superior speed, avoiding his attacks and knocking him out cold. Had they forgotten about that too?

My head remained bowed as I walked, my feet carrying me unconsciously as my mind was filled with a torrent of thoughts. I felt admittedly hurt and slightly betrayed. Surely they would have more faith in me? I expected such concern from Mirajane and perhaps Levy, but for Natsu and Gray to actually _disallow_ me to go on a solo quest just because they thought it was too dangerous? That speaks volumes.

Lifting my head finally I was surprised to find that it was dusk and twilight had arrived and my feet had carried me out of the city to the beach, walking along the surf where the salty waves lapped over the sand with a frothy foam.

My eyes turned to the cliffs so I set my course for climbing them, winding my way up the cliff paths and continued to walk until I felt the wind rise with the altitude, causing my head to spin slightly with a euphoric dizziness until I became accustomed to it.

For some reason I felt myself being drawn closer and closer to the cliff edge, the wind snapping at my skirt and hair as I fixed my eyes upwards towards the stars. I know what I need. I need to let go of the earth and feel the wind in my hair, to reach upwards to the heavens and sing among the stars. My mother had always told me that the sky was never the limit, that if I ever wanted to reach beyond the stars then I only had to try.

As I reached the edge of the cliff I paused, lifting my hands to spread them wide whilst I trained my eyes on the stars still, watching as the sky became inky black until finally they all bloomed into life, radiant and pure in their countless multitude. So with a deep breath I closed my eyes and tipped forwards.

"Fae! No don't do it! NO!" A sudden yell shouted with a tone of anguish, making me start in shock and look over my shoulder as I fell too far forwards to pull back and fell over the edge, seeing a flash of Loke's horror stricken face as he watched me fall. "FAE!" Loke! What was he doing here?!

The wind rushed through my hair and I looked downward as I plummeted head first straight for the ocean. No time to think about that now, it's now or never. Closing my eyes I felt a surge of energy rush through my body and a golden light swirled around me, instilling with me with a greater strength and power as I felt an extension of my body form on my back, stretching out as I continued to plummet for the water.

At the last moment the light disappeared and I flapped my wings, their powerful capacity easily straightening me out just a hair's breadth above the water to then soar forwards. They were brilliant white and feathered like that of a typical angel, making me smile as I sighed with satisfaction. It has been too long since I last flew like this and never without the full enjoyment of complete freedom.

Arcing around I twisted around and flew back to the cliff top, rising up like a silver arrow with a rush of air as Loke stared at me openly, tearing back as I flapped my wings to halt my travel and land gently on the cliff in front of him, blinking innocently. "What are you doing here?" I asked him with a tilt of my head as he continued to stare at my wings. I blushed with embarrassment and hid them behind me as much as I could, my hands rising to begin fiddling with my hair.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't too upset." He stammered before shaking his head and throwing out his hands. "What were you thinking?! You nearly gave me a heart attack jumping off the cliff like that! I thought you were committing suicide!" I stared at him in astonishment before turning my face away, feeling the heat continuing to gather at my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I hadn't realised you followed me." I answered then fell quiet. The gentle hiss of the wind and the dull roar of the waves below sounded around us as Loke flinched slightly, realising that he had only made me feel worse for shouting. He took a deep breath then exhaled to calm himself before giving me a gentle smile, reaching out with one hand to gesture to my wings.

"So is this your real magic? Take Over?" I nodded my head.

"Angel Soul. It's very rare. My mother had it and it's run in our family only for generations as far as we know, though it doesn't appear every generation. This is my Regular Form. All that changes is my wings and the heightening of my strength and speed." I explained to him weakly. Loke paused a moment, trying to think of what else to say before he stepped towards me and took my hand, drawing me towards him before his arms locked around me, making me squeak slightly and my wings twitched as he tucked me close to him.

"Don't scare me like that again." He whispered into my ear and I swallowed nervously before nodding my head, not trusting my voice to be steady. I felt tears rise to my eyes so I pressed my eyes shut to keep them from falling, gripping my fingers into Loke's jacket as he continued to hold me close. "I don't what I would do if I lost you. You're important to me Fae." This time a tear trickled down my cheek.

"And you're important to me too, Loke." I whispered with a trembling voice before I buried my face into his jacket, his warm arms enshrouding me. "You were the first man I truly trusted, that I wasn't afraid of. You helped me unlock a part of me that I thought had been taken away from me and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that." Loke made no response except to pull me more securely against him, turning his head into mine as the wind blew around us so I stretched my wings forwards and created a feathery barrier to protect us.

"Gotta say princess, you just keep on surprising me." He chuckled into my ear, making me laugh weakly too as we pulled apart and I dried my eyes quickly. "How many forms do you have?"

"Several as far as I know. I spent the first few weeks of my time in the library reading up on Angel Soul and its magic, learning things that I didn't even know were possible to achieve. I thought it was just an alternate form that looked pretty. Turns out it's pretty special." I smiled at him winsomely. "I can change my form to suit the environment and even gain magic attributes depending on which form I choose, a little like Erza's requip."

"I see." Loke mused, reaching out with a hand and brushed his fingers over the feathers of my right wing, making me shudder slightly at the unusual sensation. "So soft…" He murmured before looking at me again. "Why didn't you just tell Natsu and Gray? If they knew you had this kind of magic then they wouldn't have argued about you going on the quest alone."

"You and I both know that's not true." I chuckled, reaching up and tucking my hair behind my ear. "They always argue whenever I choose to go out alone. They worry about me and I'm touched that they're concerned but I wish they would just put a little more faith in me. I'm not as weak as I once was and there is much about me that they don't know and probably could never understand."

"I know, I told them as much as I walked out to follow you." Loke smirked, rubbing the back of his head casually. "I may have called them the dumbest excuses for wizards that ever existed and some other insulting stuff too but my memory's a little foggy." I giggled again quietly. Loke always had a way of making me smile and laugh again. Guess that was all part of his charm. "So were you about to go for an evening flight?" I nodded my head. "Okay, I won't keep you then. You be careful up there, I hear the birds are migrating early this year." He joked, making me roll my eyes as he turned to leave.

"Do you want to come with me?" I blurted without thinking before mentally slapping myself. Stupid Fae, what were you thinking? You've never flown with anyone other than mom before, and she had her own wings!

"Go with you? Sorry to break it to you princess, but I can't sprout pretty wings like yours. I'll drop like a rock." Loke told me teasingly and I blushed because of it before slowly lifting my eyes to meet his.

"I can carry you." Feeling a pang of confidence I turned to look up at the sky. "Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to reach out and touch a star or fly among them? It's the most sensational feeling in the world. It's almost as if you're untouchable, you become a part of the sky itself." I murmured before looking back to Loke who had moved closer without my realising, jumping slightly when I found him standing directly before me.

"I see the stars whenever I look in your eyes, so I feel like I'm always close to them." His seductive purr threw me for a moment before I frowned at him, arching an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, force of habit." He lifted a hand guiltily and smiled to me so I relaxed and slowly moved towards him, my eyes never leaving his until I moved around him and slipped my arms around his waist.

"Hold on." I whispered into his ear before giving a gentle flap of my wings, lifting us off the ground and into the air gradually, surprised at how easily I could take his weight. Loke gave a slight gulp so I tightened my arms around him as he gripped onto my hands for reassurance, his feet standing on mine as I turned my face upwards to gain altitude, stopping when we were several feet in the air. "And hold your breath." I advised with a laugh before diving forwards.

Loke gave a loud yell which I responded to with a laugh as we dove straight down the cliff, hurtling straight for the water before I straightened out and we skimmed the surface, weaving between the waves with my wingtips brushing against the water as it rippled with moonlight and starlight.

Once Loke had settled he gave a laugh, a wide smile spread on his lips as I arched my back and flew up into the air with a spiral, my wings carrying us back into the sky with the speed of a lightning bolt, flying higher and higher until finally we broke through the clouds that had gathered and Loke's eyes widened, mystified by the speckles of light and shining lights of the aurora unable to be seen from the earth.

He stretched out a hand and ran through a cloud to trail a wispy wake as I turned onto my back in a slow rotation, letting him see everything from all angles before I pulled up and held him in the air, flapping my wings rhythmically to keep us suspended. "Beautiful isn't it?" I murmured to him and he nodded his head in answer, still staring about him in awe.

Glancing to his face I saw Loke looking to a particular constellation in the sky, his eyes watering slightly and I don't think it was because of the flying. Finally he smiled softly, still gazing at the same constellation before he turned his head back towards me, his eyes deeply gratifying. "Thank you." I smiled and inclined my head in answer before I flapped my wings and continued our flight, soaring through the sky and between mountaintops before finally I returned us to the ground, labouring for breath slightly but beaming all the same.

As I let Loke go I stepped backwards and the light swirled around me, returning back to my original form as my shoulders heaved slightly whilst I shivered. Seeing that I was shaking Loke shrugged out of his jacket and placed it around my shoulders and I instantly shrank into it, pulling the warm folds around me as his hands rested on my shoulder. "Have to say, that has to be one of the greatest dates a girl has ever taken me on." He teased so I elbowed him in the stomach gently.

"It was not a date, you didn't ask me out." I corrected him simply before chuckling. "Well, I'd better head home, Levy's probably worried by now and she's most likely still waiting up for me."

"In that case, allow me to escort you home, princess." Loke placed his arm around my back and pulled me intimately close to him, smirking as I felt my breath catch in my throat and my heart began to quicken its pace in my chest. "After all there are many nasty characters out at night and someone has to protect a beautiful flower such as yourself." I shook my head at him despairingly but walked beside him all the same.

Loke kept his arm draped around me as I huddled under his coat, warm and comfortable with it around me and even more comforted with his presence right next to me. Whenever we passed a group of loungers or suspicious looking characters Loke would draw me closer but not look their way as not to make eye contact.

We walked back to my home which I shared with Levy and once we reached the door I shrugged out of Loke's coat and handed it back to him. "I had fun this evening, thanks for cheering me up Loke." I told him softly, keeping quiet as not to disturb the peaceful silence that surrounded us.

"That's what I'm here for." He answered before blushing slightly. "I'm sorry about what happened the other day with the girls, I've told them to lay off you from now on so they should leave you alone."

"That's okay, they don't worry me all that much. I've dealt with worse." I chuckled as I looked down at the ground, reaching up to fiddle nervously with my hair. Suddenly I found Loke's hand sliding into my hair over my ear, pushing it back and tilting my head backwards slightly as my eyes widened, staring at him as he moved closer.

For a breathless moment my eyes dropped to his lips and a fluttering, hopeful fantasy flashed through my mind only to be shattered when he rested his brow against mine. My shoulders slumped in disappointment but I sighed and closed my eyes, relaxing against Loke as my hands lifted to his shoulders and rested there. "Goodnight princess." His whisper sent a shiver down my spine and for a moment I couldn't answer, gulping silently before taking breath.

"Goodnight Loke."


	12. Blossoming Againt the Cold

**That moment between Loke and Fae was cute :) I just love fluff. Have you guys ever tried spreadable marshmallow fluff? It's the most amazing thing ever, especially with chocolate spread on toast. I could eat that stuff all day! Anyway, back to the story. Thanks for dropping by and for all your support! Love ya'll and can't wait to see you in future chapters. Ciao!**

 **:)**

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Taking the poster I ripped it from the board and held it up to Mira who blinked at me in surprise before slowly nodding her head, a secret understanding passing between us. Other than Loke, Mira was the only one I had told about my Take Over ability as she herself had the same magic, only hers was Demon Soul.

Turning around I shifted my travel pack further up my back then strode forwards, eyes fixed firmly on the doors in front of me and when Natsu and Gray stepped into my way again, I stopped and glared at them. "Look. I'm touched that you care so much and I appreciate you're only trying to look out for me, but this has got to stop. I am not a child and I most definitely am not your ward. You don't have to protect me all the time!" I told them and everyone instinctively looked towards us as I gripped the poster even more tightly in my grip. "I can do this. I know I have the strength, all I want is for you to have a little faith in me!"

"We can't let you Fae. Being reckless and stupid is Natsu's thing." Gray said and Natsu nodded his head seriously in agreement before blinking and spinning around to face Gray with an angry expression.

"Who are you calling stupid? You're a jerk!"

"And you're a nuisance!"

"Shut up!"

"No you shut up!" I slapped a hand to my face and shook my head, groaning in despair at the two of them as their insults became increasing louder and ruder until finally, I had had enough. I was tired of this, I have somewhere to be and these two are just getting in my way.

"That's ENOUGH!" My bellow caused them both to jump away from one another in fear but I caught them by their hair as Gray wasn't wearing a shirt or pants then slammed their heads together, making them both yelp in pain before I spun around, tossing Natsu one way and Gray the other with a mighty crash as they slammed into opposite sides of the guild hall. "Pack it in both of you before I really lose it!" Everyone gulped and leaned away from me as I felt a darkness radiate from me and my eyes turned an angry scarlet. "I _will_ take this quest and there is _nothing_ you punks can do to stop me. I'm not the same girl I once was, you guys have made me strong and that's why I know I can handle this problem. So don't even _think_ about following me or I swear I shall make Erza look like the soft hearted granny you go to for candy. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" Both of them yelped, saluting me as they leaped to their feet, sweating in fear as I gave a short hiss then spun around on my heel and strode out of the guild hall. My skirt snapped around my ankles almost in the same rage that I was in. Those two, honestly. What was I going to do with them?

As I sat on the train I looked out of the window to watch the city disappear as we started to pull away. We rolled slowly forwards, however a distinct cheering sound caught my ear so I turned my head to look further down the platform.

With a gasp I tore down my window and leaned out, staring in shock as I saw my guild mates standing on the platform, all of them cheering and waving to me loudly, Natsu the loudest of them all. "Go get 'em Fae! Show them what happens when Fairy Tail gets involved! Make sure you bash some heads for me!"

"Aye sir!" Happy yelled, flying above everyone's heads as I stared wide eyed before they filled with tears, smiling warmly as I touched my chest then lifted my hand to wave back at them. Gray gave his signature bare chested smirk as he lifted a hand in an indistinct wave.

"You got this, make us proud."

"Be careful and hurry back!" Lucy was calling as the train began to pick up speed and I levelled with them all, my eyes casting over their faces. Levy gave a widespread grin and cheered me on, telling me she knew I'd be great as Jet and Droy both whistled loudly. When my eyes locked with Loke's, he gave me a small smile and a thumbs up as he stood there casually, for once not surrounded by his girlfriends.

"See you soon!" I waved back to them as the train left the station, everyone waving and still smiling to me even as I pulled back and shut the window. My hands rested against the glass as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, smiling happily to myself. The fact that they'd come to wave me off spoke a great deal and it instilled me with an even greater resolve to prove my own strength.

Watch out demon, because you're about to go down.

* * *

I returned to the guild with a heavily bandaged waist and an arm in a sling from where I'd taken on that demon. The townspeople weren't kidding when it packed a mean punch and it had caught me once using a dirty trick, taking one of the village girls hostage and trying to get me to back down whilst beating me to a pulp. Well needless to say I'd got seriously hacked off about that and ended things pretty soon after that, rescuing the girl too.

"Fae! You're back!" Levy cried out, alerting everyone in the guild and instantly there was a rush of people getting to their feet to stare at me as I entered a little wearily but smiling all the same. "Oh my goodness, what happened?" I lifted my head and laughed before showing her the reward pouch I'd received which was large and very weighty, tossing it to her with a grin.

"I kicked that demon's butt, that's what happened." A cheer rose up and I was lifted up off the ground, making me laugh and look around for particular faces, however as I was paraded around I couldn't find Gray, Natsu or even Lucy. Shouldn't they be here? Suddenly I was dropped and I gave a squeak as I fell into awaiting arms, which were of course Loke's.

"I've awaited your return with great anticipation, my beauty. My heart has been bleeding with you so far from my side."

"Oh cut it out Loke, I know you're glad to see me." I chuckled, wriggling out of his arms before embracing him with my good arm. "Where's Natsu and the others? Did they go out on a quest?"

"Erza came back and took them on a special mission with her and Lucy went with them. They should be back in a few days, they left when Erza got back the day after you left. When we mentioned where you were she was pretty impressed that you'd actually taken the job." He informed me as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "How are you feeling? All joking aside…what the hell happened to you?"

"Turns out the demon was a lot bigger than I thought and the villagers had forgotten to specify. It had a large fist and it smacked me into a mountain once or twice." I shrugged dismissively. "But I'm fine. I'm not that injured in truth, just a few cracks and bruises."

"Well in that case…" Suddenly Loke had me back in his arms and I squeaked, clinging onto him for balance as he carried me to a seat and sat me down on his lap, his arms curling around me. "How about you rest yourself against me? I'm more than willing to offer my services in any way that you might need. After all, a pretty girl likes you needs nurturing and plenty of care and attention."

"Cut it Loke, before I start turning demon." I warned him though I couldn't quite suppress my smile. "I think I'll go home and rest for a while. I'm bone tired and I need to sleep." Loke opened his mouth as I began to try and wriggle off his lap but he restrained me as gently as he dared, grinning all the while. "And _no_ , you can't accompany me. Keep your charming hands to yourself."

"So you admit I'm charming?" He challenged as I finally managed to stand but I only rolled my eyes.

"That's the problem, you know you're charming." I returned easily before chuckling. "Now behave yourself while I'm gone, understand?"

"I'm the epitome of good behaviour." He defended with false hurt which I ignored with a shake of my head before turning around and moving back towards Levy who slipped her arm carefully around my back and helped me home.

"Are you sure you're alright? Do you want me to fetch a doctor or a healer?" She offered but I shook my head, giving her a weak smile as I continued to walk though I leaned a little dependently on her.

"No, I'll be fine. I just need rest to restore my strength and magical energy. Believe me, the demon got the worst end of the deal." I assured her so she proceeded to help me back to our place then climbed the stairs with me to then help me drop onto the bed we'd installed for me after I'd collected enough money to buy it. We shared a room with the beds on opposite sides of the room, decorating our respected halves as we wished. Levy's side was filled with manuscripts and books but what I liked best was how she had written collections of poetry and favourite quotes from novels on the cream walls. I enjoyed reading them and she had such artistic writing thanks to her magic.

On my side I had kept the walls plain, however above I had stuck glowing stars on the ceiling so that they filled my vision with a gentle light along with the fairy lights that wrapped around the head of my bed which I kept on in the night to keep it from being too dark. At first I had worried that the light would disturb Levy but she assured me that it didn't bother her at all.

We got to the bed and I lay down on top of the covers, groaning softly and soon fell asleep as Levy took care of me, retrieving a blanket to throw it over me and removed my shoes to place my legs comfortably on the bed before leaving me to sleep.

I awoke several hours later to darkness, however Levy had switched on my lights and even left some food on the bedside table for me. A sandwich, some fruit and yoghurt. Tasty. I swallowed it all down quickly, only just realising how hungry I really was. With a yawn and a stretch I got up and went downstairs to get a drink, finding Levy sitting in her favourite armchair reading a book. "Hey, you feeling better?" She asked as I carried the plate into the kitchen.

"Loads, thanks Levy." I said to her and she smiled.

"No problem." She assured me. I poured myself some juice and downed it all in one, taking a deep breath after before exhaling in satisfaction. I washed up my stuff then wiped down the kitchen for something to do despite doing it all one handed. "By the way, something came for you today. It's on the table over there." Levy called so I walked into the living room and looked to the table curiously.

"How do you know it was for me?" I questioned as I walked over to the long rectangular box. When I saw the purple carnation resting on the top. Reaching out I picked it up and twirled it between my fingers, smiling distantly at the subtle hint as to who was behind the gift.

"The delivery person said so but wouldn't tell me who it was from. So what is it?" She asked, craning her neck to see as I placed the flower down and clicked open the box, lifting the lid to look inside and almost slammed it back down again in shock. It was the twin katana I'd seen from the market. The very same ones. "Wow! Those are katana, almost like Erza's!" Levy gasped as I reached out and ran my fingers over the scabbards deftly, hardly daring to touch them before I held my breath and lifted the white one from its place. "Do you know how to use them?"

I nodded my head in silence, watching as the long black ribbon trailed down elegantly downwards as I slowly wrapped my fingers around the hilt and drew the blade. It rang effortlessly and I carefully twirled the weapon through my fingers, making a figure of eight at my sides to test the balance which quickly became obviously perfect.

Reaching out I drew the black one also, placing the scabbards down then stepped away from Levy to start running through blade exercises, testing their balance and eyed them closely to admire their superior workmanship. "Do you have any idea about who they're from? Should I be worried that someone knew to get you swords? Wait…is it your birthday and I don't know about it?!" Levy worried, gripping her hair as I chuckled.

"No, it's not my birthday and no…I have no idea who they're from." I answered, smiling as I listened to them whistle as they cut through the air. "Maybe I should ask Erza for a battle, I'd like to test them out but I doubt they'll endure against her blades seeing as they're magic based. These are ordinary but still, very beautiful." I murmured before returning them to their respective scabbards then placed them back in the box where I picked up the carnation again, touching its soft petals before gently taking in its fragrance.

"Well, whoever this came from, I'd say they like you a lot. I think you have a secret admirer!" Levy giggled, running her hand over the smooth wood of the box. "They must have cost a fortune. Clearly someone's trying to impress you."

"Maybe, guess we'll have to wait and find out." I said before wincing, looking to my bandaged arm. Perhaps I shouldn't have tried using both swords at the same time like that. My arm still isn't quite back to its old self since that demon had struck me into a mountain and almost broken my entire body.

"So tell me what happened with the demon? You obviously succeeded but I want to know everything!" Levy declared as she pulled me to sit down at the table with her, fingers drumming on the surface as I chuckled.

"Well I got to the village and almost instantly the demon appeared. It didn't really go for people but took the livestock for food. It only took people when they tried to fight back or when it couldn't find anything really substantial to eat. It had horns that angled down its face and on its head, massive arms and a sloping back a little like a Vulcan." I explained to her. "I lured it away from the village to the mountains where I could battle it without worrying about endangering the villagers however when it caught on to what I was trying to do, it snatched one of the village girls and took her back to its cave, so I followed."

"Oh wow, that poor girl." Levy murmured before letting me continue.

"The demon stank pretty bad so it was easy to follow and it didn't take me all that long to catch up with it. When I found its cave the creature was about to eat the girl but I stepped in, demanding that it release her. That's when it hit me. It moved so fast that I didn't even have time to move. I went flying through the rocks and all the way out to the opposite mountain peak, hence the injuries." I gestured as Levy gasped.

"How are you not dead? That impact should have killed you!"

"I used my magic and transformed into one of my alternate forms which made me stronger than metal and just as durable, so I was fine, just a little bit hurt but I recovered quickly. Anyway from there I battled the creature, cutting off its hand to release the girl then killed it before it could start going off on a rampage. She was a little traumatised and bruised up but otherwise oaky, so I took her home, collected the reward then went on my way."

"Amazing, you said something about an alternate form? Is that part of your Take Over magic?" I blinked at her in surprise and she blushed. "I saw the books you were studying a while back all about Angel Soul so I figured that you would have some kind of Take Over ability to do with that."

"Sometimes I forget just how smart you are Levy." I said to her and she blushed again before chuckling. "But yes, I do have Take Over magic called Angel Soul. The alternate form I was talking about was my warrior form, it clads me in armour and my wings become metal as well. I even get blades on my bracers and my wings are so sharp their like swords so it's pretty cool."

"That's so awesome, I'd like to see that one day." Levy told me with a dreamy look in her eye, probably trying to imagine what I had looked like. "I bet you looked totally badass just like Erza. Is your warrior form like her Heaven's Wheel armour?" I thought carefully, picturing it in my mind from what I had seen in books and pictures.

"Not quite, the armour is more like my skin _is_ the metal and I have a lot more of it that Erza does, also my wings aren't feathery, they become more mechanical and the feathers are more like blades." I explained as my fingers continued to twirl the flower in my fingers.

"I totally knew you could handle it. Wait until Gray and Natsu realise just how powerful you are. They'll be kicking themselves afterwards and forever bowing down to you like the do with Erza." I chuckled at the thought then shook my head, giving a sigh as I closed my eyes and tilted back my head. After a moment I looked down to the flower and then to the katana box that rested beside me.

"I think I'm going to take a walk. Don't wait up for me okay?"

"Sure, be careful out there. You're still injured and need to take care of yourself so you can get better." She warned me with a gentle, caring smile as she stood up and went back to her book as I rose and walked over to the door, grabbing my cloak and swung it around my shoulders then pulled up the hood. "And say hi to Loke for me!" She added as an afterthought, making me blush. I really need to remember just how smart Levy is, I can't hide anything from her.

Stepping outside I took a moment to feel the light breeze before turning and walking down the street and took a deep breath, closing my eyes to pay full attention to the smells around me and followed the direction towards the park, finding the scent I was looking for.

Loke sat on the hill under the oak, laying on his back and gazing up at the stars though it was rather cloudy tonight and you could only see pockets of them through the various gaps. I watched him for a moment before climbing the hill to join him, the carnation still gripped in my hand.

When he heard me coming Loke sat up to see who it was, frowning slightly until I drew back my hood to reveal my face, giving him a soft smile. "Hey Loke." I greeted quietly before sitting down under the oak as well as he lay back down.

"Hey princess." He answered a little distantly, his eyes returning to the skies and I looked at him sadly for a moment before looking upwards also, giving him his space. I'm not sure how much time passed in silence, however I could tell that Loke was falling deeper and deeper into a quiet depression the more he looked upwards, almost with longing.

Shifting closer I crawled to his side then sat down beside him, placing one hand beside his side so that I leaned over him, cutting off his view of the stars. "You don't need to be so sad, Loke. If you want to touch them then I'll fly you all the way if I have to." I whispered to him quietly as I moved a little closer, lifting the carnation and twirled it in front of my face slowly. "I came here to thank you. Tonight I'm going to simply be grateful for what you did but tomorrow, I am going to be very angry that you spent so much money." This made him chuckle, a slight curve touching his lips.

"Then I'll enjoy tonight whilst it lasts." He answered, lifting a hand and began to trail his fingers across my face in feather light patterns, fingertips tracing my nose, cheeks, eyes and even my lips as his eyes never left mine. I felt my breath halt in my throat as I stared down at him, blinking slowly as his fingertips gently parted my lips.

Finally I relaxed and smiled affectionately down at him, feeling him take the carnation from my fingers and slide it into my hair before he traced my jawline in an unwavering gesture. Leaning closer I found myself drawn to him in a way I had never felt before with anyone else, his gentle caresses somehow settling the butterflies in my stomach, my eyes growing heavy as I stretched towards him and felt the warmth of his skin touch my own as his fingers brushed through my hair.

Loke closed his eyes as I leaned into my hand to keep myself supported, my injured arm tucked into my chest as I gave a soft sigh then closed my eyes too before closing the distance between us whilst my chest seemingly glowed with a warm light.

My lips brushed against his forehead in a light caress before I pulled back and lay my head against his chest, feeling him shift me closer to him and his arms protectively encircled me. My ear could hear his heartbeat in his chest and the steady rhythm lulled me comfortingly, throbbing firmly until my own scattering heart slowed to match its rhythm. I rose and fell in miniscule movements with every breath he took, his hand curled over my arm as his other rested over my waist as I lay at his side, giving a tired yawn against him before snuggling closer to his warmth, smiling under the light of the moon as finally the clouds cleared and the entire host of stars shined down upon us.


	13. Strength In Numbers

**Hi guys! So because the story is looking like it's going to be quite big, I've decided to cut it into three smaller stories so that it won't be too much to cope with all in one go :) Hope that's okay, I promise that I'll make the storyline extra special just for you all!**

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I was glad that Erza, Lucy and the boys came back safe and sound, however during Natsu and Erza's battle over who was the strongest out of the two of them, I was shocked when Erza was actually _arrested_. We all waited back at the guild with worry and I fidgeted in my seat constantly, playing with my hair as a means to try and distract myself.

"Will Erza be okay?" Lucy asked and I looked over to her, registering the genuine concern in her expression.

"She'll be fine." I assured her tenderly, shifting around to face her. "From what I know the magic council are all just uptight formalists. They'll probably scold Erza for wrecking such havoc with you guys, give her a warning then send her right back to us. After all, this is Erza we're talking about. I doubt even the council would dare try and mess with her." I reasoned simply before reaching into my satchel to pull out a book I had borrowed from the library. "Here, I got this for you. Levy told me that you love to read so I thought this might cheer you up."

"Really? Thanks Fae, that's so sweet." She said as she took it from me and looked at the title. "Hey, it's a book about astronomy!" Her eyes lit up as she ran her fingers over the cover and I smiled to her.

"I thought you might enjoy learning a little more about the stars, considering you're a celestial wizard and all. I must have read that book twice already but I still manage to mix up the names and forget a few of them. I'm a little hopeless at that sort of stuff." I admitted, bashfully rubbing the back of my head as Lucy beamed at me.

"This is great, thanks Fae, I can really get into this!" She made to start reading but then groaned and hit her head on the table. "I can't…I'm too worried about Erza."

"Well, it was worth a try." I sighed then pulled two bowls that I had set aside closer, pushing one towards Lucy. "Looks like I'll have to resort to desperate measures. Eat up! Before I take it back and eat it myself because ice cream is my favourite food in the whole wide world." Lucy looked down at the ice cream then gave me a grateful look.

"You're the best." She told me before starting on her chocolate ice cream whilst I happily gorged my way through the vanilla I had got for myself. "This is great! How did you know chocolate was my favourite?"

"I didn't, I just made a guess and hoped for the best, I'm glad you like it. Ice cream always cheers me up." I explained and after that Lucy didn't seem so stressed out. We talked for ages about books which bored all the boys so they gradually moved away from us but Levy soon joined in as we began to discuss our favourite authors.

Erza and Natsu, who had slipped away to try and rescue her, consequentially stayed overnight in a cell thanks to the dragon slayer trying to bust in and pretend to be Erza himself whilst the magic council were holding trial. Honestly, he was such an idiot sometimes. It's a wonder he's lived this long.

When he got back though it was like he had never left, he was just as excitable and loud as before, more so even. "Who would have thought fresh air could smell so sweet?! I'm gonna breathe it in all day!" He yelled as he held his fist in the air then ran back and forth, making me dizzy as I watched him spewing flames from his mouth in his excitement. "It's the sweet smell of freedom!"

"Shut up…" Jet groaned, glaring at Natsu as he continued to yell at the top of his lungs.

"Put a sock in it, man." Droy agreed as I shook my head, giving a small chuckle as I sat at the bar with Mira and Master Makarov.

"Isn't he precious when he gets all excited?" Mira's sweet voice cooed as I arched an eyebrow, watching as Natsu began to jump from table to table, everyone watching him with a bored disdain.

"Precious isn't the word I'd use." I noted as Lucy lay her head down on the table with exhaustion, moaning wearily.

"I can't believe that stupid trial and arrest were just for show. All that worrying for nothing." Have to say I agree with her. Just as I thought Erza would be, she was fine, sitting at a table and quietly sipping her tea whilst Natsu continued to shout the place down.

"So she wasn't a sacrificial lamb but a scapegoat." Gray theorised and I shot him a bemused look as Elfman shivered quietly, giving Gray an incredulous look.

"You must be one heck of an ice wizard 'cause even your jokes leave me cold." I had to giggle at that as Elfman shook himself off then shouted over to Natsu who stopped short and blinked at him. "Hey Natsu! Are you gonna finish going man to man with Erza?" Uh oh.

"Oh yeah I forgot about that." He grinned before turning to Erza. "So what do you say? Wanna pick up where we left off?" He challenged but Erza didn't even spare him a look as she continued to drink her tea daintily.

"I'm not in the mood right now." She replied curtly but, as expected, Natsu didn't take no for an answer and quickly ignited one of his fists into a fire attack, making me sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose whilst shaking my head. He's asking for it.

"I'm not letting you off the hook that easy!" He yelled before charging towards Erza who muttered under her breath in irritation before rising to her feet. With a single punch straight to Natsu's gut she doubled him over, forcing the breath from his body with that one strike and he froze in place before falling to the floor, completely stunned by the powerful hit. He asked for it.

"How's that? Are you satisfied?" She questioned him calmly as Happy leaped up into the air.

"And he's out!" A chorus of laughter came from Elfman and Gray, both of them clutching their stomachs as I gave a chuckle. Poor Natsu.

"Way to go champ!" Gray teased as Elfman wiped away the manly tears from his eyes.

"Guess we know who the real man is!" Elfman added. Mira gave a little giggle however when master gave a low groan we both looked towards him, seeing him slump slightly from where he sat cross legged on the bar. His eyes were pressed firmly together and his brow was furrowed into deep lines.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Mira asked but master lifted his head and exhaled.

"I'm fine…just sleepy." He answered, forcing his eyes to open slightly. "He's coming." I blinked in confusion at his words.

"Who's coming?" I questioned but before anyone could answer, Mirajane swayed on her feet with a quiet moan, her eyes drooping. "Mira!" Lunging forwards I tried to catch her but she fell to the floor before I could reach her, falling fast asleep. "What's…what's happening…?" I questioned as I slid back from the bar, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion overcome me, trying to force me to sleep but I fought against the mind tricks, gripping my head as I stumbled from side to side. "What's going on…master?"

"Don't fight it my dear, you're not in danger." Master Makarov assured me in a sleepy tone and I struggled to focus on him as my vision blurred before me. "Just…relax…don't fight." But I couldn't just not fight, someone was trying to force me to sleep! These kind of mind tricks were things I was used to, but the power was equal to that of my own father and I was struggling to beat it back.

Footsteps sounded behind me however before I could turn around to face the approaching person, my knees buckled under the sleeping spell that had been cast and I felt myself falling to the side, my head heading straight for the table but a sudden pressure stopped my descent and someone's arms lifted me off the ground before I could hit my head.

My body trembled for several reasons, out of strain and slight fear as I turned my head and managed to look into the eyes of a masked man, clad in a large cloak with a high collar and several staves on his back. I only saw him clearly for a brief second before my vision blurred and went black.

It seemed like I was asleep only for a minute as when I opened my eyes next I was wide awake and fully aware. I found myself on the ground propped up against a pillar with my head resting against a bench, neatly arranged and I blinked a few times before getting up as everyone else came around too. Well, everyone except Natsu that is. "Oh man…was Mystogen here?"

"What a jerk."

"Does he _have_ to put us to sleep every time he comes here?" Levy complained as she rubbed her eyes. I looked around at everyone as they all yawned and wiped their eyes, slowly waking up whilst I stood fully awake, hardly even affected by the sleeping spell. Well that's a surprise.

"Who's this Mystogen guy?" Lucy questioned and I turned to listen to the answer, wanting to know for myself.

"For one he's a contender for Fairy Tail's strongest wizard." Elfman answered and my jaw gaped slightly in surprise. No way!

"Yeah, and for some reason he doesn't want anyone to see what he looks like." Gray continued as I walked over to them. "So whenever he comes here to take a job he casts a sleeping spell." Lucy jumped in her place, giving a panicked look as she stiffened like a brick.

"That's kind of creepy!"

"Master Makarov is the only person here who's ever gotten a good look at his face." Gray mentioned and we all looked to the master who sat perfectly still in his place at the bar, sitting on its worktop with his arms folded around a staff.

"That's not true, I've seen what he looks like." A voice called down from above and I whirled around to see a blond haired, big shouldered guy standing on the second floor, smirking down at us all with a lightning bolt scar over his right eye.

"Laxus! Talk about rare." Elfman noted as everyone looked up at him.

"You're never here."

"And here's another contender." Gray drawled monotonously as Lucy and I both stared upwards. Laxus, I hadn't heard anything about him before. No one had ever mentioned him.

"Mystogen's just a little shy. You should all respect his privacy." Laxus scolded us all condescendingly and I narrowed my eyes at him. I've decided that this one is a jerk. I don't like him at all. He sounds too vain and cocksure for his own good.

"Alright Laxus, you and me right now!" Natsu suddenly yelled, wakening from his sleep and I stared at him. Is he insane?

"Getting your butt kicked once today wasn't enough?" Gray challenged as Natsu glowered up at Laxus, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. Looks like this Laxus guy doesn't have many friends. I can't see one person who looks happy to see him.

"Yeah pal. If you can't even win against the redhead then why bother with me?" Laxus agreed and suddenly Erza had a dangerous look on her face. Oh great, she's pissed off now, great going you dork!

"What are you trying to say?" She demanded to know with a slight growl in her voice, making Gray lift his hands with a terrified look on his face as he tried to pacify her.

"No need to get all worked up Erza." Laxus suddenly spread his hands as he addressed the entire guild, looking down at us over his nose. What a creep. "I'm saying that I'm the guild's strongest wizard." He announced with a pointed glare straight at Natsu, trying to antagonise him further and was heavily successful. It was almost too easy to get Natsu worked up.

"Then come down here and prove it."

"You come to me little man." His teeth were grit in the threatening challenge which a wise man would have backed down from, however unfortunately Natsu was anything but wise.

"With pleasure!" He sprung off the table and leaped over the bar, running for the stairs that led to the second floor however before he had even reached them, master Makarov had swung out a fist and slammed it down on Natsu, flattening him into the ground.

"You're not allowed on the second floor Natsu. At least not yet." Makarov said, not even looking at Natsu as he kept him restrained, Laxus's snort of laughter ringing down from above.

"Think you made him grumpy." He taunted and I narrowed my eyes at him, clenching my fists at my side as I felt my anger beginning to rise.

"That's enough out of you Laxus!" Makarov commanded but Laxus paid no attention which only infuriated me further. How dare he disrespect Master Makarov that way? The jerk!

"The most powerful wizard in the guild isn't a chick or some hooded weirdo. You wanna know what the strongest wizard looks like? You're looking right at him!" Suddenly I was unable to hold myself together any longer. I wanted to throw something so my hand reached out and grabbed a tankard that sat on the table next to me and with all the force I could muster, I flung it straight at Laxus as he laughed.

It struck him straight in the face before he had even seen it coming, my hand still flung out with a flat palm as his head ripped back from the impact. A collective gasp tore through the gild as I stood there, eyes closed whilst containing my inner rage before I relaxed my stance and looked up to the ass of a wizard, Laxus. "Looks like I just hit the strongest wizard of Fairy Tail in the face." I announced, keeping my fists clenched at my side as Laxus stared down at me with a barely contained rage. "Quit your yapping before I drag you down here and start smacking! What's a girl to do to get a drink in peace around here?"

"I second that one." Cana muttered with a snort as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Fairy Tail doesn't have a wizard that's stronger than the other. There's always going to be a day when you'll be better than your rival and another day when you're weaker. Fairy Tail stands together as one guild, and that's what makes us each and individually strong! Now get off your high horse and have some respect for everyone else's capabilities, or you'll never be respected for your own." I reprimanded him firmly before folding my arms and walking away.

A whistle through the air made me stop and even before everyone had cried out a warning I whipped around and lashed out with my leg, striking the tankard and swiped it aside with so much force that it shattered against the wall on the other side of the room. "Jerk." I snapped at Laxus as he seethed from the balcony of the second floor, eyes bulging in rage as I continued my way out of the guild hall, ignoring him shouting threats after me.


	14. Take Care

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, you're all stars!**

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When Natsu gets back, I am so going to kill him. He took an S-Class job and dragged Lucy into it too! I got back from a job I'd taken myself and heard all about it from Mirajane and a very hacked off master Makarov. Gray had apparently gone out to get them back but when he didn't return, Erza went after them all.

"I hope they're all okay." Levy worried as we both looked at the board, searching for our next jobs. "I know what they did was wrong but Natsu just wants to prove himself to the rest of us."

"Yeah, but he's only proved that he's a giant idiot." I answered before leaning closer to look at a particular poster. "Huh. A magic diadem? Wonder what kind of magic it has." I mused as I scanned the poster, asking for a powerful wizard to come and retrieve a magical diadem from a haunted cave.

"Oh I've heard about that. Apparently it makes the wearer invisible." Levy told me. "That actually looks quite good, are you going to take it?" She asked but I shook my head, recognising that she liked the look of the task herself.

"You go ahead, make sure you be careful though. An artefact like that is bound to have lots of magical spells cast to keep it protected."

"I will, don't worry. Maybe next time you and I can go out on a quest together, we haven't done that in a while and it always ends up being fun." She suggested as she took the poster from the wall and held it to her as I nodded my head.

"Sounds great! You remember that time we were chasing that escaped convict through a spa resort. Now _that_ was hilarious. I still remember his face when we accidentally knocked him into the lady's sauna. We didn't even need to fight him after that, he just fainted on the spot!" Levy giggled with a rosy blush at the memory. I always enjoyed hanging out with Levy, she was good fun and one of the sweetest girls I knew.

"Totally, he didn't make it easy for us to bring him back though. Remember how he then tried to escape through a swamp but then begged you to bring him back after he got stuck in the stinking mud and you dragged him out crying like a baby? I think we must have traumatised that poor guy."

"Well, it was his own fault for thinking I wouldn't notice he'd run away during the night. I thought I'd humour him just a little so I let him run off a little way." I shrugged, smirking to myself then chuckling. "Anyway, I think maybe I'll take a job in the city. They've been building up again since no one else takes them." I mused before taking a poster from the fire department asking for assistance with the demolition of a building that had collapsed into another and they were too afraid to do anything further in case they brought the other building down.

"You be careful too, don't get too reckless now." Levy winked at me and I rolled my eyes sarcastically in reply before we both showed our posters to the master who nodded his head in agreement. As I said goodbye to Levy an arm draped itself around my shoulders and Loke's scent washed around me.

"Is it hot out today or is it just you, princess?" He questioned me with a smirk as I rolled my eyes.

"It is rather warm, I agree, but unfortunately my physical appearance does not affect the weather unless I am in one of my angel forms." I answered him smartly. "I have to go, that building needs to come down as soon as possible before any accidents happen."

"Well how about I tag along and help out? You never know, you might need Prince Charming to come and rescue you in case you get into trouble." He told me charismatically, making me blush so I looked away from him.

"If you like, I certainly can't stop you. Just make sure you're careful too, okay? Unless you want the heroine to come and save you like some damsel in distress." I shot back over my shoulder with a smirk which he chuckled to in response before jogging after me to catch up. "I have a question." I announced as we walked, making him arch his eyebrow at me. "Why do you run from Lucy the way I used to run from Natsu?" Loke started slightly then looked away, his face falling.

"It's complicated." He tried to brush off.

"I'm clever." I answered him simply, reaching out and touching his arm gently. "I'm sure I'll understand." Loke didn't answer me for a while, staring distantly down at the ground and I stopped slightly, wondering if I shouldn't have said anything but then he sighed and lowered his head further, his glasses reflecting the sunlight harshly.

"Let's just say I've had a bad experience with celestial wizards in the past." He answered in a voice that was not his own. This Loke had been returning more and more recently. He wasn't as forward and outgoing as he used to be. I've noticed how he's been taking less and less quests and tends to drift around the city on his own whenever he wasn't swarmed by his girlfriends.

"I can understand that, you know I can, but what I've learned from my own experience is that it's unfair to judge someone simply because they have some kind of resemblance to another who has hurt you before. Lucy is kind and sweet, she's a good friend and it's not right of you to associate her with whoever it was who hurt you." I told him in the softest tone I could make, stopping him by taking his hand and pulling him towards me as my other hand reached up and touched his face. "She won't hurt you the same way."

Loke couldn't bring himself to look me in the eye, still looking down at his feet so I exhaled, not really knowing what else to say so I fumbled for thoughts, trying to find a way to reassure him. I drew myself up to my full height, letting go of his hand which hung limply in mine to place them both on his shoulders, giving him a little shake to wake him up. "Loke, look at me." I ordered him and his eyes slowly drifted to meet mine.

I looked at him fiercely, my eyes burning a bright golden colour as I felt an overwhelming desperation to make him see fill every crevasse in my body. "I won't let _anyone_ hurt you like this again. They'll have to step over my dead body if they want to even try but even then I'd keep fighting for you, I'd find a way. You've no reason to be afraid Loke, because you're not alone anymore. I'm right here and I'm not going to go away so long as you want me by your side." My fingers gripped into his jacket as I gave him another shake, the fierceness still burning brightly in my eyes. "It doesn't matter what's happened in your past because you've got so much to look forward to in the future. You have Fairy Tail, you have friends who love and care for you. You've got me too, and I'll battle any and all of your demons if it will make you happy again."

Loke's eyes had widened throughout my heart pouring and for once, and possibly the only time, I did not blush at my own words. I kept my eyes levelled and focused straight into his, maintaining the connection before slowly my hands dropped back to my sides and I rested my head against his chest, leaning against him with a soft sigh. "I just want to see you smile like you used to." I whispered and I heard Loke catch his breath before he exhaled, placing his hands on my shoulders to push me back.

His eyes were slightly misty as he looked down at me, lips slowly turning upwards into that kind, adoring smile that I loved to see. It made me happy. My own smile lifted as I gazed up at him, sniffling feebly and wiped my eyes as tears threatened to start flowing. "Thank you Fae, I don't know what I'd do without you." He told me truthfully before pulling me closer to him again in a tight embrace, his arms curling around my shoulders as I closed my eyes into his neck.

"We should go. People are starting to stare." I whispered to him and he gave a low chuckle before nodding his head, holding onto me a moment more before pulling away, however instead of placing his arm around my shoulders like he usually did, he caught my hand and laced his fingers through mine to walk at my side.

I stared at the rather forward gesture then blushed, ducking my head to hide the redness of my cheeks but didn't pull away. I just hope none of his girlfriends were watching, otherwise I'd be in big trouble. We walked over to where the demolition of a market tower had gone horribly wrong. Apparently it had been standing for three days and wasn't going to hold much longer, however there was nothing that the fire brigade or the construction team could do to fix it.

What had happened was one of the structure supports had collapsed, causing the building to fall to crumble partially and fall to the side into the building beside it, a block of flats. The building had been evacuated however the building wasn't going to hold for much longer. "So…what do you want us to do? It's coming down either way." I asked the head of operations who was sweating and flapping his arms about frantically.

"I don't know! Push it back the other way! Turn it all into dust! I DON'T CARE! JUST DON'T LET IT DESTROY THE OTHER BUILDINGS!" I arched an eyebrow then puffed out a gust of air as I rolled my eyes.

"Sheesh, calm down. I'll fix your problem." I waved a hand dismissively at him before turning to face the leaning building, turning my head to match the angle of its slope.

"Looks a little tricky. Maybe we should wait for Natsu to get back and let him take care of things, after all he is the best at destroying stuff." Loke mused, hands in his pockets as the crowds all whispered behind us, waiting in anticipation to see what we were going to do. "I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help."

"That's okay, you can stand back and cheer me on." I told him with a smirk, glancing his way before stepping forwards. I was about to transform when a scream sounded behind me, making me spin around in alarm to find people pointing upwards to the top of the building. My head snapped upwards and I stared at the figure that stood on the very top of the crumbling building, small and waving down at us all as they stood at the edge.

"It's a little girl!"

"Someone save her!"

"Is she gonna jump?"

"You have got to be kidding me." I exhaled before clenching my fists, focusing upwards as the golden light swirled around my body, transforming me into my Angel Soul and wings sprouted from my back, arching backwards before they extended, causing everyone to gasp in awe as I stood serenely with my eyes closed, my dark green skirt and white blouse fluttering lightly on the breeze the magic created.

When I opened my eyes I looked upwards and gave a single flap of my wings, shooting into the air like a thunderclap to then streak towards the girl as her face came into view. Mimi? What was she doing up there? Her eyes bulged as she stared at me, mouth gaping wide open as I slowed my ascent and flapped my wings, hovering before her with a serious expression on my face, arms spread outward for extra balance. "What are you doing up here Mimi? It's dangerous." I told her as she blinked then looked down shamefully.

"There were boys teasing me, they told me I wasn't brave so I told them I would prove to them that I was. They don't believe me when I told them about the mines and the bad people, calling me a liar as well. They said if I came up here and proved I was brave then they would believe my story and leave me alone." She explained so I sighed, lowering my head in understanding before offering her a comforting smile.

"Let me carry you down, it'll be safer that way." I offered, extending my arms for her to jump into them but as she smiled and made to run to me, the building gave a shudder and the sound of cracking stone rang in my ears and the both of us gasped in fear as the ground suddenly caved beneath Mimi's feet. "Mimi!" Her scream echoed in my ears as I tried to lunge for her but she slipped from my grasp, tumbling down with a petrified look on her face as the crowds below cried out.

I flung myself into a dive, tucking my wings in tightly and nosedived straight for Mimi, holding out my arms as a chunk of the building separated from the main structure and threatened to fall on top of the little girl so I gave another push of my wings and punched through it, shattering it into smaller pieces then grabbed onto Mimi as Loke and the other men below pushed everyone further back. Mimi's scream stopped suddenly when she felt my arms around her and she gripped onto me tightly as I tucked her in a shielding embrace whilst continuing in my steep plunge.

At the last second I opened my wings and a distinct boom sounded as the rush of air billowed out from their firm beating, lifting me upright as I dropped Mimi into Loke's awaiting arms before spiralling back upwards, manoeuvring out of the way of falling rocks as I focused on my Angel Soul. "Soul Adaptation, Aerial Spirit!" My voice rang out with power and my entire body glowed as I felt my powers begin to shift and change as I urged them to develop.

My wings grew longer and less bulky, refining their shape and I felt my clothes change also. My blouse became a white halter top with a gold band, the fabric covering my chest but opened in a large split to expose the majority of my stomach with only a few tassels at the lower hem of my top, the white woven with fine silver swirls like clouds. The skirt I wore changed from green to pure white as well with gold wrapped around my waist as the waistband slung low on my hips, a golden feather charm sitting on one of the bands as they crossed over my hips and, much to my horror, there was a giant slit up one side of my legs.

Upon my arms were four golden bracelets, two on my upper arms and the other two on my wrists as bracers, indented with feather and cloud engravings. My head became adorned with a circlet of plain gold with an opal at the centre, angling downwards into a point at the centre of my brow with two locks of long hair framing my face, the rest being pulled back into a twist before it spilled down my back.

Glancing over my shoulder I stared at my wings. They were no longer material. They were formed of pale wisps which formed the likeness of feathered wings however with each flap they became as distilled as swirling clouds before quickly snapping back into shape. I rather like this form, though I'm not too sure about the halter top, I feel a little naked to be utterly honest.

As my speed enhanced I shot to the top of the building then stopped, glaring down at it before spreading my arms and began to circle, spinning around on the spot and guided the wind currents around me, taking a deep breath to yell outwards, projecting my magical energy into the wind as it began to swirl into a powerful tornado which swirled around the building, halting the falling stones and began to drag them back upwards, swirling within the cyclone as I continued to guide the magic that I poured into the air.

The building began to be ripped apart, breaking away and crumbling into dust whilst never touching anything other than the building I directed it around, the howling of wind roaring in my ears as I continued to twirl like a spinning top, my body a blur until finally I sliced my hands outward and the tornado halted in place, a cyclone of dust imitating its shape before slowly it settled down upon the crumbled building which lay a pile of rubble beneath me.

Suddenly I felt a crash of exhaustion hit me, causing me to groan and blackout momentarily, dropping towards the ground but when Loke yelled my name I snapped awake and quickly gave a beat of my wings, gasping as I jerked my head up to see Loke scrambling over the rubble to rush towards me.

I gave a weak smile as my feet touched the ground, holding me upright a moment as Loke reached me before I finally allowed myself to collapse, gripping onto him for support as I winced from the headache that raged in my head. "That was…spectacular." Loke said to me and I laughed wearily, lifting my head to look up at him as I panted for breath.

"It was damn heavy. Remind me never to take a construction job again." I answered, making him laugh in response before he lifted me off my feet and I curled my arms over him as he jumped down from the crumbled rocks and slid down part of a wall to return me to stable ground.

On my feet I noticed something glinting so I pointed my toes to see I wore a gold anklet on both feet with a band running down the middle of my foot to my middle toe with fine chains spreading out over the top of my feet prettily. Have to say, I like the free jewellery I get with these alternate modes.

As Loke walked back towards the crowd still carrying me in his arms, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to return to my regular self, my wings disappearing so that people would stare at me a little less. "Fae! Fae are you okay? Are you hurt?" Mimi worried as she rushed over to me and Loke gently put me down to the ground where I knelt before her.

"I'm fine, I'm just glad you're alright." I told her, reaching out and placing my hand on her shoulder. "But you can't let other people frighten you Mimi, don't let them control you. Next time you see those boys, you tell them you're not afraid because you have something that they'll never have, and that's courage. After all, only cowards pick on innocent little girls." I murmured to her and she beamed at me before flinging her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly as the crowd applauded. "You tell that to them with pride, and if they ever bother you again, you come and find me. I'll set them straight, I promise."

"I will." She vowed, hugging me tighter before letting go, stepping away as I took a deep breath then stood up, already feeling my strength returning. The head construction man gave me my reward and thanked me profusely, bowing repeatedly until I told him to stop because he looked ridiculous.

"You ready to go?" Loke questioned me and I nodded my head, giving Mimi a smile and a wave before she disappeared into the crowd and I walked off in another direction. "I kinda liked your new look. I miss it already." He told me with a smirk as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. "I hadn't quite noticed before but you have a rather alluring figure, your angelic glory had me nothing short of enchanted, princess."

"It's a shame the enchantment doesn't stop your tongue from moving, in that case." I answered him back jokingly, giving him a playful shove of my shoulder into his side, making him laugh gently before giving me a push in return.

"Loke!" Someone's shrill voice yelled and my companion gave a groan as I stopped and looked around, seeing three very unfriendly females glaring heatedly at me with their fists on their hips, pouting at me with their puckered lips. "What are you doing with _her_? You were supposed to meet us in town to go shopping! I wanted you to help me pick a new dress to wear for you tonight!" The short haired brunette whined and I arched an eyebrow at her tone.

"Yeah, why are you still hanging around that tramp? She should learn that you're off limits because you're _ours_." Another brunette agreed, folding her arms and giving me the dirtiest look I've ever seen. What is it with these girls? Surely by now they know that Loke and I are just friends, even if I do have some feelings for him.

"Beat it you little brat, Loke's coming with us!" The only blonde ordered but I remained stood still. Loke's face hardened and he stepped forwards, making to say something but I flung out a hand to bar him, silently asking him to stay out of this. Instead I walked forwards to the three girls, looking to them all in turn before folding my arms before me.

"Is there a problem here?" I questioned them and they blinked before snorting at me.

"Haven't you been listening? Jeez, you're even dumber than you look. Loke is _our_ boyfriend and there isn't room for anyone else in the picture, got it? So not even a little scavenger like you is going to take him away from us. So just get going!" The blonde yelled at me but I merely lifted a hand and wiped the spit from my face as a result of her hiss.

"I have no interest in playing this tiresome and rather pathetic game of yours that you seem adamant to play. Loke is my friend and I have every right to walk with him if I so wish. Perhaps if you were a little less jealous and used that dusty brain up there in your head, you would see that your possessiveness over Loke is ill fitting and extremely unneeded. Loke is not an object that belongs to you. He has the right to speak to whomever he wishes and have whatever kind of relationship he desires with whoever he chooses." I stated clearly before lifting my eyes to there with a dark red flaring in my depths. "So back off!"

They shrieked squeakily and jumped backwards, one of the brunettes reacting upon instinct by swinging a hand straight to my face which I caught without even looking, however that had seemed to have been the breaking point for Loke as he jumped forwards and quickly pulled me backwards to push me behind him. "Okay that's enough! I won't have you treating Fae this way. She's right when she says this game is ridiculous and it's gone on too far! If it weren't for Fae then I wouldn't be stood here right now, she saved my life! So you should all treat her with a little more respect." Loke never shouted but his voice was so low and dangerous that all three of them glanced to one another in surprise and confusion.

Loke turned and gripped my hand, marching away and pulled me along with him. I stumbled at first then quickened my pace to keep even with him, glancing over my shoulder to see the three girls still looking utterly perplexed whilst Loke's expression remained dark and stormy. "Loke? It's not that bad, I don't mind them being a little jealous, sometimes I find it funny." I tried to pacify him but his dark expression did not change.

"Well I don't, they have no right to treat you that way." He growled before sighing, slowing down and relaxing his grip on my wrist before gradually coming to a halt. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"No it's not." I tried but he shook his head.

"I shouldn't be hanging around with so many girls. They can be such a nuisance sometimes." I arched an eyebrow at him, placing my hands on my hips and gave him an unimpressed look, making him jerk quickly and hastily start to correct himself. "I don't mean you! I mean, not _all_ girls are nuisances!" At his panicked expression I gave a laugh, letting my hands drop back to my sides.

"Sometimes I feel like Erza. You boys seem to be just as scared of me as you are of her sometimes."

"Well, you can be pretty scary." I gave him the same look and he gulped, recoiling from me warily so I shook my head at him as he backtracked once more. "In a good way! Like just then with the whole tornado thing, that was pretty terrifying but awesome at the same time. Where did you learn that kind of magic?" I shrugged ambiguously, clasping my hands behind my back then walked past him, giving an elegant twirl with a spread of my hands as I exhaled.

"I've always had it but now I'm beginning to discover it." Lifting my face I took a breath of the wind as it graced against my face, carrying the delicious smells of baking bread, salt and flowers from the park in its wings. Turning around I looked at Loke to find him wearing that deeply reflective look on his face so I turned around to face him, tilting my head to the side. "Loke, what's bothering you?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." He answered me, giving a false smile which I did not return, folding my arms in front of me again as I fixated my gaze on his.

"You know I can tell when someone lies to me, right?" I told him and he flinched slightly before looking away. "But it's okay, I'm here if you need to talk about anything." I promised him before walking forwards again, heading back to the guild however when Loke didn't follow I blinked and looked back at him. "Aren't you coming?"

"No…I think I need to walk for a while and clear my head." He answered, still looking at the floor. "Take care Fae, I'll see you around." His distant voice caused me to flinch inwardly and I watched as he turned around and began to walk away, his shoes dragging across the ground slightly.

Turning I watched him begin to walk away from me, a slight tugging at my chest. Just what is his problem? I can't help him unless he talks to me but so far he's been pushing me away from letting me. Is he in trouble? Maybe he's just going through a bit of a depression stage for some reason or other.

"Wait!" I yelled then ran forwards as Loke lifted his head before he could turn around I tackled his back and hugged him from behind, resting my head against his furry hood as my hands locked together at his stomach, pulling myself firmly against him in a final embrace which I held onto for as long as I dared, Loke standing stock still before I finally pulled away. "Take care." I said to him smilingly before turning around and walking away.


	15. Broken Wings Cannot Fly

**Sorry for the gap between posting, I'm packing stuff up to go to uni so I'm a little tied up with other stuff I need to be doing but just can't get my head into gear ;) thanks for being patient, here's your next chapter!**

 ***Warning, this chapter may be distressing to some readers. Please continue with caution.**

* * *

For a short time things were peaceful among us all, Fairy Tail managing to stay out of trouble after the cursed island incident. Thankfully Lucy, Natsu and Gray weren't thrown out of the guild, however Erza made it a point to keep a very strict eye on them, especially when going out on missions. They were out on one now, however I wanted them to come back soon. It was awful what had happened and they needed to be here. Our guild had been completely destroyed in the night, desecrated until it was hardly recognisable due to the large metal rods that had been pounded from the outside in.

Some of us had gotten hurt in the attack made by a rival guild and Mirajane had almost been crushed by the collapse of the second floor but her brother had rushed her out of the way, carrying her to safety as I dragged Levy away from her book and jumped off of a falling pillar just moments before the table we had been sitting at had been smashed to splinters. The only reason we weren't crushed is because my wings were so strong, I managed to hold off the falling debris among all the chaos so that Levy and the others could get out safely before I could escape myself. There was no sign of the culprit, all we heard was this distinct cackle of laughter before he disappeared completely, not even my nose being able to pick up the trail.

They told me it was the work of Phantom Lord, a guild who tended to play by their own rules and were great rivals with Fairy Tail. What we couldn't understand was why they would do this to our guild. We hadn't provoked them in any way! This was just to spite us, to make us retaliate and spark a war for no apparent reason but there had to be more to it than that.

With the upstairs completely uninhabitable we were forced to move downstairs to the basement where things were cleaned up so that we could wait for what our next move. I sat at a table with Levy, Jet and Droy, all of whom wore broken expression. "We've never been on the best terms with those Phantom jerks but come _on_." Jet muttered as he swirled his ale around in his tankard.

"Wanna teach them a lesson?" Droy suggested but Levy exhaled wearily.

"Back off you guys, don't you think we're in enough trouble already?" She reasoned and I nodded my head in agreement.

"Open wars between guilds is against the magic council's law, so we're not allowed to return the blow or we'd be the ones to get the blame." I reminded them both as I picked at my food, not really feeling hungry. "But it sucks. They shouldn't have done this to our guild and I want nothing more than to make them pay for it."

"You know we can't, Fae, so just try and keep a lid on it for now until we know what it is we're going to do next." Levy told me so I sighed and nodded my head. My eyes turned towards where Loke stood on his own, leaning against a wooden pillar with a similar facial expression to the one everyone else was wearing, though to be fair I'd seem him with the same face for the past couple of weeks now. He'd been avoiding me recently and I couldn't help but know that something was fundamentally wrong.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jet asked with a small smirk, arching an eyebrow at me pointedly so I slowly turned my face back around to glare at him, eyes flashing red before I jerked out my leg and with one strong tug yanked one of the legs of his stool out from underneath him, making him fall to the floor with a yell as I grit my teeth.

"Can it zippo, before I start losing my cool!" I growled, digging my nails into the table and I flinched as I felt my nails scratch into the surface.

"Wow, someone's a little sensitive." Droy noted unwisely so I turned on him, clenching a fist and glowered down at him.

"You wanna be next smart guy?" I demanded and he yelped and quickly hid behind Levy who shook her head with an exhale.

"Calm down you guys. I know we're all frustrated but we can't start turning on each other. It's time like this that we need to remember how important family is and that we'll stick together no matter how tough the times get." Levy told the three of us and I sighed, hanging my head with a flush of embarrassment before I nodded my head.

"I'm sorry you guys, that wasn't nice of me." I apologised, touching my hand to my chest and clenched my fingers together to try and relieve some of the tension in my body.

"That's okay, we shouldn't have teased you." They both answered, getting back up and sat down again quietly at the table. I looked up over to where Erza and the others had finished talking to the master as he skipped away. Getting up I walked over to Lucy, holding my arm behind my back.

"Hey, how did your quest go?" I asked and she turned around to look at me with a sad look in her eyes.

"It was fine, but I wasn't expecting to come home to this." She admitted, shifting her pink suitcase closer to her as she looked around. "Everyone looks so down, it's like a part of them was broken with the guild."

"In a way it has." I answered, looking over them all as well. "Most of the people here grew up in this same guild from infancy, others have been here so long that it's almost like they were born here. I only joined a few months before you did but this was the first place that actually ever felt like a home and where I could think of people as family. The guild is where I feel safe and now it's been ripped to pieces."

"I know how you feel." She answered quietly and stepped closer to me, placing her hand on my shoulder so I gave her a weak smile. "But it'll be okay. We can always rebuild it, right?"

"Of course." I nodded my head in agreement before exhaling. "Though I'd like to give those sorry sons of bitches a taste of their own medicine. They'll be sorry for what they did to us, that I swear." Lucy glanced between me and Natsu to probably compare the similarities between the two of us. Although I might not be as reckless, impulsive and outgoing as Natsu, I have my moments. What every member of Fairy Tail had in common, however, was a deep love for the guild and each other, which means when someone hurts or threatens any piece of us, we take it personally.

When Levy signalled to me that they were leaving I gave Lucy a quick goodbye and goodnight before following after them, glancing over my shoulder to Loke briefly before climbing the stairs. "Erza suggested that we stay in groups for the time being so I asked Jet and Droy to stay with us, is that okay?" Levy asked me and I nodded my head in answer.

"Sure, it's your place after all." I reminded her but she shook her head and gave me a wink.

"It's your place too, you always pay your half of the rent so you have a say in what goes on too, you know." She informed me before stretching out her arms and beginning to walk as if she were on a tightrope, balancing on the tips of her toes as we made our way down the darkened streets. I hadn't realised it had gotten so late.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Jet questioned us as they followed behind side by side.

"Shouldn't you stay with Loke and the others at the girl's dorm?" Droy agreed but Levy answered back reassuringly, still walking on her imaginary tightrope.

"It's fine. I don't want to split up our team." I glanced over my shoulder and giggled quietly to myself as Levy walked on oblivious to the fact that the boys had both practically fainted to the floor, clutching their chests and I could hear their erratic heartbeats before they leaped up once more.

"The three of us can face anything together!" Jet declared and I shot him a look before frowning.

"Uh, what am I? The morning mist?" I questioned and he slapped his head guiltily so I shook my head at him with a titter of my tongue. "Honestly, so rude."

"I'll _always_ protect you." Droy said to Levy and I was about to make a comment that she hardly needed protecting when a scent caught the air. It was coarse and metallic, sending a sharp prickling sensation up my spine and I quickly whirled around to see a dark shape flying towards us, a metal bar for a fist knocking out both Jet and Droy before aiming for Levy.

"No!" I tackled Levy to the ground to get her out of the way, grunting as I rammed her with my full weight and we struck the ground together, her cry of shock jarring me to my senses as a dark snarl rippled from before us, another hit aimed straight downward from the metal mage. "Watch out!" I rolled with Levy in my arms, hurriedly springing to my feet then pushed her behind me as our opponent stepped into the moonlight away from the shadows.

"You're fast. That's good, I was hoping this would be at least a little bit entertaining, though I doubt it'll be a challenge." The dry voice noted sardonically, making me growl and drop my weight further, feeling my eyes burn red as he snorted. "Ooh, scary."

"Levy, get Jet and Droy out of here. Wake them up if you can then try and get help. I'll handle this one until you get back."

"You can't take him all on your own, just look at the guy!" Levy squeaked but I ignored her, my body glowing with light before I flapped my wings, sending a rush of air outward as I took on a battle stance.

"Now!" She didn't argue further, my opponent facing me with a similar stance to mine as Levy inched backwards, waiting for her change to reach the boys who were knocked out cold on the floor, their heads bleeding from the impact. "You're going to pay for this, you're the one who wrecked our guild hall, aren't you?!" I yelled before hissing, my teeth becoming fangs as I struggled to contain my rage.

 _Destroy him_.

Hell I plan to. This metal headed jerk is not going to get away with this. He's going to taste his own blood and be begging me for mercy by the time I'm through with him. Not just for wrecking the guild but for trying to attack Levy and my friends too! "Are you done glaring at me? I'm getting kind of bored." He mused. That's it!

With a roar I charged forwards however as he punched straight at me I jumped, landing with a catlike grace onto his arm then ran straight at him before ramming my knee into his face with a flap of my wings for extra power, throwing him straight onto his back as I hovered in the air and signalled to Levy who nodded and ran over to Jet and Droy to try and get them out of harm's way.

"That one tickled a bit." The long bushy haired jerk muttered before giving a roar, spinning around and I had to flap my wings quickly to avoid his next punch before he jumped up onto a building, using it as leverage to try and tackle me so I rose higher into the air. "You're not getting away little fairy, so don't even try!" He yelled before looking down, pausing a moment before giving a smirk and malicious laugh. Oh no. Levy.

"Levy! Watch out!" I screamed down at her but even as she turned around the iron mage had dropped down and knocked her flying, her cry of pain ringing in my ears as I stared helplessly. "You bastard!" I roared, diving straight down and slammed my full weight and used all the momentum I could gather to ram him to the ground, drawing back a fist and punched him in the face before he threw me off him, snarling as he gripped my arm and swung me around to sling me into a wall, crushing my body in the process and I cried out at the pain before lashing out with my foot, my eyes burning a dark red as I felt the darkness begin to engulf me.

The shadows radiated from me in my anger as my opponent slid over the ground, maintaining his balance as the air rippled around me and the release of shadow energy began to alternate my form. My lungs filled with air and I bellowed to heavens with absolute rage, feeling my wings change shape as they became larger and more powerful, the soft white turning to a coal black with tattered feathers tipped with blood red.

My clothes disappeared, turning into a black leather halter top with an exposed midriff with tight leather bottoms replacing my skirt with rips and tears all the way down to the bottom where I stood barefoot. My eyes blazed with a luminous fire, my fangs bared in a sharp hiss as my enemy looked at me with a silent amusement, only slightly impressed by my sudden unplanned transformation.

I flexed my fingers now tipped with metal claws, a snake bracelet of dark metal winding its way from around my wrist with the tail touching my middle finger, its eyes glinting with rubies as my tongue flickered with a hiss, forked and sharp as my hair grew in length, almost touching the floor and I felt a tail flicker with a twitch, leathery and long with a sharp arrowhead at its end.

No. I swore I would never transform into this form again. This wasn't me! This was a freak of nature! The poisonous darkness had been injected into me by my father in an attempt to create a creature such of this, but she was not of my own mind. She was my very own demon and I had no control over her. Sure she may defeat that Phantom member, but the moment she's done tearing him to shreds she'll move onto Levy and the boys before destroying the entire city. She was pure evil.

 _I told you, little Fae, you cannot escape me. I am you, and you are me. You should have not tried to run from me, because I was never gone. I have always been right here in your mind, waiting for the moment when you would break. Now this body is mine and I shall wreck beautiful havoc upon all those you love as punishment._

I was powerless to stop her as she hissed, turning her face to the sky then shot into the air, planning to head straight for the guild to finish what Phantom had done but a weight slammed against our chest and sent us crashing back to the ground, destroying the stone steps as the enemy approached us, cracking his knuckles. "I told you there was no running away. Now you're gonna regret even attempting to escape."

"You little piece of filth!" My demon angel hissed, baring her fangs at him. "I have no time for insignificant bastards such as yourself. Go amuse yourself with those three urchins and stay out of my way!" He stopped for a moment, sniffing the air before growling slightly.

"You're not the same kid as before. Who the heck are you?" She lifted her head proudly, running her tongue over her red lips with a sly smirk.

"I am your worst nightmare." She replied before barrelling forwards, shrieking loudly. She slashed into the man's flesh and I smelled his blood instantly, making him growl viciously before giving a roar, turning his skin to metal and this time, no matter how many times my demon self tried to slash at him, her nails didn't even leave a slight graze against the metal.

With a heavy fist he slammed it into our gut, sending us flying backwards and we slammed into the wall, giving a gasp of pain as I fought to regain control, forcing her back down as she howled in my mind, demanding freedom but gradually, I suppressed her though it took a lot of my magical energy to trap her once more in the furthest corner of my mind.

My body returned to its regular angelic form, a soft groan leaving my lips as I collapsed to my knees, however I felt someone grasp my hair and lift me back to my feet and ram me into the wall again, causing me to scream. "I don't get nightmares." He snarled in my ear before grasping one of my wings, my eyes widening in sudden horror as I realised what was going to happen.

I didn't have time to even transform back or even think. With one powerful wrench, I felt the bone of my left wing snap and I screamed in agony, the sound shattering the night sky as I screamed for the one person I wanted to be there with me, to take me in his arms and make the pain go away.

Loke.


	16. River of Tears

**And another chapter up and running, I'm on a roll! Hope you guys enjoy, remember to R+R so I know what you guys think, any and all constructive criticism is welcome, just be polite and no rudeness please!**

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 _The world shifted into shape around me. I was in a maze. No, I was in the maze of my old home, my father's guild. It was dark and gloomy, a light drizzle of rain pattering down around me. I breathed heavily, my heart scampering in my chest as I looked around at the tall bushes, the world completely grey and bleak._

 _"_ _Fae…" Her voice whispered weakly and I looked ahead to see my mother standing there, her body a pale grey like the rest of this colourless world with a sad expression on her beautiful face. She was crying, I could see the tearstains down her cheeks and the drops gathering at her eyes even though she looked like nothing more than a spirit._

 _"_ _Mommy!" My tiny voice cried out and as I tried to run forwards I tripped, yelping as I hit the wet ground then looked at my grazed hands. They were small and nothing like my own hands. Wait…was I a child again? Looking up I found my mother had her back turned to me and she was walking away with her head bowed, making me gasp and scramble to my feet again. "Come back mommy! Don't leave me here!"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry Fae…" The echoes of her voice danced around me tauntingly as she began to grow smaller and smaller the further she walked away and no matter how hard or how fast I ran, I wasn't moving anywhere. "Forgive me…"_

 _"_ _Mommy! No mommy don't go! DON'T GO!" I screamed desperately but then something snapped at my wrists and I shrieked as the hedges around me grew long prickly vines which gripped my wrists and wrapped around my ankles, stopping me from running to my mother as she slowly began to fade from sight, her body turning to dust as she was blown away on the wind. "Mom! Mommy!"_

 _The ground began to swallow me quickly, making me drop down as I screamed, begging for help and calling for my mother to save me as I stretched my neck upwards, trying to keep myself above the ground but then all at once I was swallowed and I plummeted downwards, spiralling in blackness whilst screaming until finally, I hit rock bottom._

"NO!" I sat bolt upright but instantly cried out in pain, biting back the tears as someone quickly wrapped their arms around me to keep me from hurting myself any further. "No, no, no…let me go…don't hurt me…I can't take it anymore…" I pleaded until I heard someone murmuring softly in my ear, pulling me close to them whilst stroking my hair.

"You're safe now Fae, it's alright. No one's going to hurt you, it's all over."

"Loke?" I whispered and he nodded his head, looking down at me despairingly before I gripped onto his shirt and clung to him desperately, struggling against my tears as I cried quietly against him, his arms still wrapped around me. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I tried to protect them but…but…"

"You did everything you could, Fae, there's nothing to be ashamed about. You were taken by surprise and you didn't know what to expect. Please, just try to calm down." Loke told me reassuringly, running his fingers through my hair in long, leisured movements and I slowly felt myself calming down.

Something warm dripped onto my arm and I looked up to find Loke crying silently, his teeth clenched tightly together as he held onto me for all he was worth. "Loke?"

"I'm sorry!" He burst, letting out a racking sob as he dropped down and clung to my waist, burying his face into my neck as his shoulders trembled. "I should have been there to protect you. I gave you my word that nothing would ever hurt you again. I failed you Fae!" I stared at him widely before feeling my own tears start to spill before I lay my hand on his back and curled my other around his head to hold him to me. "When you needed me the most I wasn't there. I've been pushing you away all this time when I should have been by your side. I'm so sorry…"

"Ssh…" I hushed him gently, feeling the lump thickening in my throat as I made weak noises to try and keep myself from crying at his display of pent up emotion. "It wasn't your fault Loke, I should have been better prepared. I wasn't fast enough and became angry when Levy got hurt which threw off my judgment. The fault was mine and mine alone, so stop beating yourself up over it." I told him, my voice gradually growing stronger as I pressed my hand to his face and lifted his head so that I could look him in the eye.

My fingers gently lifted away his glasses and I set them aside to ease away his tears, brushing them away as softly as I could until Loke was perfectly calm. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch, resting his hand over mine to trap me against his cheek, nuzzling it slightly before he opened his eyes to look at me with an encouraging smile. "You need to rest now, you took a heavy beating, worse than the others. It'll take you a while to fully recover."

"Where are they?" I asked quietly as I lay back down on my pillow, taking a deep breath as my eyes struggled to stay open. Loke looked up and over to my left where I saw a closed curtain. They were right next to me, all of them wounded and hurt because I hadn't protected them the way I should have. "Who was he?" I asked with a trembling voice of anger, clenching my fist as I pressed my eyes shut. "The iron dragon slayer. I know what he is and what he's done, now I want his name."

"His name is Gajeel, you're right about him being a dragon slayer. How did you know?" I gave a wry glare up at the ceiling as I growled.

"I could smell it." Pushing against my hands I tried to sit up but Loke quickly pushed me back down by my shoulders to stop me.

"Don't even think about it Fae, you lost a lot of magical energy fighting that guy. Leave the rest to us, we're going to take revenge for what Phantom did to you and the others but don't you even think about trying to do the same. You are in no condition to fight, I mean it." He warned me, giving me a stern look as I tried to struggle beneath him.

"Get off me Loke! That Gajeel asshole is going to pay for what he did. He broke my wing!" Loke flinched and nodded his head but still held me down even though struggling was becoming pretty painful to do, my ribs aching and burning and I only stopped when finally I gave a whimper of pain and settled once again. A single tear slipped down my cheek so I turned my head into the pillow to hide it.

"This is for your own good Fae, I don't want to see you getting even more hurt." Loke brushed back my hair behind my ear but I refused to meet his eyes, blinking slowly as I tried to wrap my mind around the pain I was in and also the sense of complete failure that refused to leave me. "Fae? Please…don't shut me out." Loke pleaded softly so I closed my eyes in answer.

"Just go." He was silent for a while and I heard his heart give a heavy thump in his chest before he exhaled deeply, rising to his feet and collecting his glasses from where I had set them down, placing them back on his nose before he stopped to look at me. I listened to the silence and tried to ignore his presence behind me, struggling further to keep from crying.

There was a rustle of movement and I felt Loke brush his fingers over my hair one more time before his hand settled on my head, warm and comforting as he leaned in closer. His lips brushed against my cheek and it took every ounce of willpower to keep from reacting though I tensed slightly at the sensitive touch, the knots in my stomach tightening as he lingered before all at once he pulled back and walked away, leaving me alone in the silence.

Once he was gone I sat myself up again, looking down into my lap before I turned to face the curtain. Silently I threw back the covers and gradually placed my feet on the ground. I felt weak and feeble as I stumbled my way forwards, pausing in front of Jet and Droy to take in their various injuries whilst clutching my ribs, feeling them throb and twist in pain before I managed to get to the seat beside Levy.

Thankfully of the four of us she seemed to be the least injured, just a little bruised up and still unconscious. I reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as I sat beside her, keeping my tears at bay as she stirred, giving a tiny moan before her eyes fluttered open. I smiled for her and she blinked again before smiling back, turning her head to look at me properly. "Hey." She croaked.

"Hey there sleepyhead." I whispered back quietly as she tightened her grip on my hand. "How do you feel?"

"I've been better." She answered weakly before giving a tiny chuckle. "Been worse too, so I guess I'm alright."

"Good." I nodded my head, shifting a little closer and did my best to hide the wince of pain. "I'm sorry Levy, I should have protected you better. I should have protected you all."

"It's okay, we were all a little out of our depth with that guy. He just came out of nowhere. You did great saving me from his first attack. If you hadn't been there, I would have gone down straight away." She told me in her croaky voice so I reached out and poured her some water, curling a hand under her head to gently tilt her forwards and guided the sips into her mouth. "How are they?"

"They took the worst of it but nothing life threatening. We're all going to be okay." I promised her as I placed the cup down then began to brush aside her hair. "You just focus on getting better, there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, apart from the war between our guilds. The master isn't going to allow this to go unpunished, he'll want revenge for there being a direct attack on us. Everything's happening so fast that I…I don't know…I'm so tired…" She mumbled, her eyes flickering closed so I shifted her pillows to make them a little comfier for her.

"You sleep Levy, sleep well and when you wake up, I promise everything will be alright." I said to her and she gave me one last smile before she fell back asleep. I didn't return to my own bed but instead went to the window, standing as I slowly felt my magical energy ebb back into me, drawing strength from the world around and I felt the pain lessen with each passing minute little by little. Whilst watching the world pass by beneath me I couldn't help but think about the guild war. I should be out there with them. I need to be there to fight by their side, I shouldn't be out of the battle so soon! Damn that Gajeel!

"Miss? You have a visitor, would you please get back into bed?" A nurse invited me rhetorically so I nodded my head, turning around and allowed her to assist me back to my bed where I sat down and waited, watching the door as it was opened and a small figure bounced through. I blinked in surprise.

"You're here! They told me you would be so I begged them to let me see you! I told them you were my aunty." Mimi squealed as she ran forwards and jumped onto the bed, making the nurse gasp in annoyance but I only chuckled and hugged Mimi warmly, smiling into her as I ignored the bruising pain her small frame caused in her excitement. "Did you really get beaten up by a metal monster? Or was it a demon? Did you save us all in your sleep and we didn't know about it?"

"No, unfortunately. My friends and I were attacked by a man from another guild and I wasn't fast enough or strong enough to beat him." I explained to her as I brushed back her hair, smiling as she sat back on my legs with her soft eyes gazing up at me.

"But you're unstoppable! You're the guardian angel, no one can beat you!" She wailed so I hushed her gently, touching a finger to her lips and she quietened for me.

"We all have days when we are weaker than others just as much as we have days when we're stronger. I was weak that day, but now I have learned from my mistakes and I know how to be stronger for next time. Sometimes it's necessary for us to lose if we're ever to become the best that we can be. Losing helps us to choose between right and wrong." I told her and her eyes glittered in awe at me as I smiled modestly. "I'm not all powerful, I'm just a girl with some magic powers, just like you."

"When I grow up, I'm going to be just like you." She told me in her young, innocent voice.

"Well, then I hope you grow to be a better version of me." I told her as I turned her around and began to run my fingers through her hair and began to make a plait on one half of her head before doing the same to the other, using the ribbons she had been wearing before to secure them. "Thank you for coming to visit me Mimi, you've made me very happy."

"That's okay, I wanted to come. You saved me twice now." She turned a wide grin back at me, winsome and sweet just like all kids were. "So you're like family." She jumped off the bed and began to zoom around the room like a bird, spreading her wings. "Get better soon Fae! Go kick that bad guy's butt!" She cheered before flying out of the door that the nurse haughtily held open, making me chuckle before I turned my face back towards the light that filtered through the curtains from the window.

I took a deep breath and looked down, closing my eyes to gather my thoughts and emotions to me. With my mind firmly made up I tossed back the covers and climbed to my feet, clicking my neck before removing the bandages from both my arms and legs, draping them over the bed before taking off the ones around my waist too. "What are you doing?! You need to stay right here and recover, your strength may have returned a little but your body still needs to heal!" The nurse yelled frantically at me as I began to walk towards the door, my expression dark yet oddly calm.

"I am grateful for all you have done for me, but right now I am of better use elsewhere." I told her in a smooth, mellow tone, continuing to head to the door as she watched me pass with a stunned expression, not knowing what else to say. My fists clenched at my side as I flung open the door and walked free, retrieving my clothes and sliding into them however they were so badly torn and decimated that they barely kept my covered, so I stopped at a clothes store and picked out a new outfit.

In the dressing room I pulled on black baggy sweat pants and tight boots which came up to my knees, wriggling my toes inside them before turning to my torso. I had selected a black crop top which fit me tightly, shaping my frame as I pulled on a dark green sleeveless jacket similar in style to Natsu's however it stopped at my lower back and the upturned collar was smaller. To complete my transformation I drew on some black fingerless gloves and a deep red scarf which I wrapped around my neck, the long ends trailing at my side to match nicely with the green, the two colours somehow working very nicely.

Opening my eyes I looked at myself in the full length mirror, hardly recognising myself. I sighed and pulled back my hair, drawing it all up into a high ponytail before gathering the katana I had retrieved from my house and strapped them to my back in a cross, feeling the ribbons billow elegantly behind me as I walked, my eyebrows deeply set against my eyes as I clenched my jaw. I felt slightly empty inside, like a hollow shell as I walked along the street, tracking the scents of my guild. They had already left for the Phantom Lord headquarters and I'll have to track them by air in order to catch up, but I couldn't help but feel that something was deeply wrong, a sense of trepidation that sent warning bells off in my head.

Once I had their scents fixed I closed my eyes and performed a Take Over into my Aerial Form, electing for speed rather than power and soared into the air, my clothes once again changed into the white robes from before except I still carried my katana on my back, staying with my body change as my wings carried me like a bolt of light through the air.

I found myself journeying to Oak Town where I stopped over the castle, undercover in the clouds and used my sharp eyesight to see that everyone was retreating. What had happened? Where they really that strong or had something gone wrong? A flash of fire and blue caught my eye in the further distance, causing me to see Natsu racing away in the opposite direction to the others.

Briefly I paused, wondering who to follow first. Erza for an explanation or Natsu to keep him out of trouble. I think the better option would be Natsu. After all, if he starts another fight with these guys he's either going to need an extra pair of hands or a fast way to escape.

I followed him from a distance, seeing that he was dragging a Phantom Lord lackey with him and I flew a little closer, curious to see what was happening. All of a sudden he abandoned the Phantom guy and took off running, calling out a name which I caught as the wind brought it to me. Lucy. What was she doing here?

My eyes turned forwards to where I spotted a huge tower in the distance, Natsu utilising his speed and power to suddenly jump into the air to catch a falling Lucy, my eyes widening in shock before I flew forwards to them. When I landed Lucy was crying, stunning Natsu and Happy who stopped and stared at her in confusion. I have to agree I'm surprised, in the short amount of time I've known Lucy, she's never cried over anything.

"Lucy?" I spoke quietly and they all spun around to face me, staring in shock as I stood in my ordinary form, now clad in my new clothes.

"Fae! You're supposed to be at the hospital!" Natsu shouted in astonishment as Lucy rushed to her feet and ran to me where I opened my eyes and welcomed her into my embrace as she sobbed my name and gripped me as tightly as she dared as I relaxed my arms around her, combing my fingers through her shorter hair. "Hey do you have any idea why she's crying like that? Because I'm stumped." Natsu questioned so I rolled my eyes at him with a gentle smile.

"It's a girl thing, don't worry about it." I answered before drawing Lucy up, lifting her face so that I could brush away her tears. "There's no need to worry, okay Lucy? Natsu and I are here and we'll protect you. You're coming home right now to Fairy Tail."

"Fae…I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!" She sobbed, clutching her face and shaking her head as Natsu continued to look at her blankly, scratching his head.

"It's okay, please don't cry Lucy, you're way too pretty to be crying." I said, touching her back tenderly and lowered my head to look up at her between her fingers. "Come on, we need to get out of here before they send reinforcements. Happy, you and I are flying, can you take Natsu whilst I take Lucy?"

"Aye sir!" He cheered, spreading his wings and lifted Natsu up into the air as I took a deep breath whilst altering my appearance, sprouting my wings and I glanced to my left one to make sure the break from my other wing hadn't affected this one. I gave it a flap to make sure it was all properly intact before lifting Lucy off the ground, holding her in my arms like a cradle holds a baby as she stifled her tears and leaned into my neck, going quiet as Happy and I flew them both home.


	17. A Menacing Phantom

**There seems to be a little bit of confusion guys, there _is_ more to this story still coming, I've just separated the chapters a little and there will be a sequel after that, don't worry, I won't leave you all hanging!**

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It took longer to get back than it did for me to get there and it was past dark when we returned to the guild but I felt glad to be home. My sides were aching and my wings were also tired out. I need to work on their strength a little. As I set Lucy down I hunched over and clutched my sides, biting on the pain as Lucy hovered over me. "Are you alright? Do you need to go back to the hospital? I'm so sorry, I should have walked back, I didn't think about your injuries!" She fussed in a quiet voice so I shook my head and stood upright.

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about." I assured her though Natsu shot me a knowing look, choosing not to say anything as I took Lucy's hand in mine and walked her back into the guild. Everyone was in a state, already trying to plan the next move of attack or bandaging one another up from their injuries. When I walked in I received several stares and low gasps but I ignored them all, my eyes flickering over to Lucy as she drifted away from me and sat down on a barrel in the corner, hanging her head low and shaking at the knees.

"You should be resting in the hospital, recovering from your injuries!" Erza snapped at me so I shot her a fierce look, my lips thinning into a hard line as my eyes narrowed, making her draw back in surprise.

"Well I'm here now and there's nothing you can do about it." I answered before following after Lucy, keeping quiet as everyone took in my new appearance, a little startled by the drastic change that had taken place, but that was before I was angry. I leaned against the wall near to Lucy as she sat with her head hung low, Natsu standing protectively close to her also. Everyone stepped a little closer, wanting to know what happened so slowly, Lucy revealed everything.

Her name was Lucy Heartfila and she had run away from her father and her home to join Fairy Tail. She came from a rich family and her dad had set up the attack on Fairy Tail to get to her and also arrange for her to be kidnapped and taken back home to her control freak of a dad.

I was a little surprised to say the least but as tears continued to stream down her face I reached out and touched her shoulder in a friendly grip, making her turn to look at me blinkingly. "It's okay Lucy, I'm a runaway too." I told her and her eyes widened slightly before she dried her face.

"Really?"

"Uh huh. I know how it feels being restrained and controlled that way. It feels like there's no one alive that can hear you silently screaming to be set free and no matter how hard you try, you can never do the right thing. The longer you stay put, the more chains are put on you until your suffocating. It feels like you can never escape unless you try, which is what you did. You found the strength to get up and get away from there, and that's nothing short of admirable." I said to her, looking off into the distance as Lucy nodded her head, turning around slightly to look at me fully.

"That's exactly how I felt. I never knew…how come you left? Was your dad controlling too?" I flinched slightly and looked away, a shadow flickering in my expression as Lucy bit her lip, realising that the subject was still a little sensitive for me.

"You could say that." I answered before sighing, slowly drawing myself away and turned around, lifting the jacket slightly to reveal a portion of my back where everyone instantly started to gasp and stare at the silvery scars that adorned me, some of them still a jagged line in my skin. "I ran away from abuse. I just couldn't take anymore." I revealed as everyone continued to stare even when I'd turned around and looked back at Lucy. "Everyone has a different backstory and I'm no different, but that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that we're all part of a bigger family now, and we take care of one another and help heal one another from what may have hurt us in the past." Reaching out I took Lucy's hand in mine and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We won't let your old man take you away from us, you're far too important to this guild to let go without a fight."

"Aye!" Happy chanted in agreement. Lucy's eyes glazed over with tears once more but she didn't cry but instead closed her eyes and leaned into me as I placed my arms around her. After a while Gray looked up and around, noticing Lucy's rather heartbroken expression.

"Don't worry, we'll get them back for this." He assured her in his quietly mellow voice but Lucy only hung her head further.

"I know. I'm not worried about that." She said in a tender and trembling voice, eyes cast downward and not meeting anyone in the eye. Natsu and I glanced at one another before looking at Lucy once more. "It's just…all my fault…"

"Being targeted by dangerous people is just one of the downsides of being rich. Least your protected by a _real man_ like me." Elfman noted rather dumbly, arms folded across his burly chest as Gray shot him a dark, icy glare.

"Hey would you give it a rest?"

"I gotta say I was shocked when I heard the news, why'd you hide the truth from us Lucy?" Happy asked her, gazing up at her with his big round orbs as she exhaled softly.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything! I mean, there's no way to bring up the fact that I'm a runaway in casual conversation. I've been gone for a year and my father hasn't cared. Now all of a sudden he wants to force me to come home? He's done all of those horrible things just to get me to go back! I hate his guts!" She yelled before taking a deep breath to calm down a little. "Still if I hadn't run away in the first place then none of this would have ever happened."

"Come on, don't be ridiculous. Your dad is the one to blame." Elfman countered but Gray quickly cut him off by calling him an idiot, making the giant man recoil and quickly try to backtrack. "I mean it's Phantom's fault!"

"No." Lucy shook her head. "I'm the one who brought trouble to the guild and it's all because of my own selfish choices. I'm so very sorry. I'm just going to go back home and hopefully this will be over with." I looked to Natsu quickly as he stepped forwards, but I frowned slightly to see him wearing a gently smile on his face.

"I don't know about that. I can't see you playing the part of the pretty princess sitting around in your mansion." He told her, making Lucy look up at him slowly. "Laughing with us in the guild hall, going on adventures even though you freak out all the time, that's who you really are. You said you wanted to stay with us, why would you ever go back to the place you ran away from?" He had a point, though sadly I did have an answer to that. "Come on, who you trying to kid? You're Lucy of Fairy Tail. No more running, because you belong here with us!" I have to hand it to him, on the rare occasion that Natsu says the right thing at the right time in the right place, he does it amazingly.

As Lucy leaned into me once more to cry, touched by Natsu's words I rubbed her back soothingly though I cast my eyes downward, unable to quite look anyone in the eye. In truth Lucy and I were almost the same. We both kept our secrets about where we came from, and although the guild knew a little about what had happened to me, they didn't know what guild my father is the master of and where I grew up. Would they think less of me if I told them? What if my father finds me? Will he do the same to Fairy Tail as Phantom's doing to us now?

My thoughts were interrupted by the ground shaking above and below us, causing everyone to gasp in fear as dust trickled down from the ceiling. "What's going on?" Lucy whispered as she clung onto me, my arms pulling her closer with my glare aimed upwards.

"Let's go look." We all ran outside to the front of the guild, looking out to the open water where a massive island was moving across the water with spider legs made of metal and a huge castle positioned on the top. My eyes widened in horror and my jaw dropped, staring at the monstrous atrocity as it approached us with thunderous steps.

"What is that thing?!" Natsu practically shrieked and I backed up a step, staring before I grit my teeth. No time to be afraid now Fae, this is the fight you've been waiting for.

"It's a guildhall with ginormous legs!" Happy gaped, jaw dropping wide open before he yelled and ran to hide behind my legs, making me blink down at him as he quivered in fear.

"Is it phantom?"

"How do we fight that thing?" All of us stood in a state of shock, Mira clasping her hand over her mouth as Erza shivering in only a bathrobe, staring wide eyed at the beast of a mechanical monster as it continued to approach with slow, daunting movements.

"I never anticipated this. I can't believe they'd go to such extremes to attack us!" She stated as the legs of the island planted firmly into the seabed then dropped the guildhall down so that it settled neatly directly in front of our own guild, causing a massive wave of ocean water to rise up and cascade forwards with a roar. Suddenly an entire section of the castle wall slid down to reveal a cannon spout which extended forwards and began to focus a beam of dark energy at its mouth. "Run! Get out of here now!" Erza yelled to us before ripping away her robe and running forwards.

"No, Erza!" Mira gasped as her body began to glow with her requip ability, changing into a suit of armour.

"Don't be stupid!"

"What are you doing?!" Loke yelled as Erza stood directly before the cannon in a full suit of thick bodied armour, glaring forwards as my eyes widened in awe. Erza is my greatest idol, hands down. She's bold and fearless, seemingly never afraid to face any opponent no matter what the odds.

"Protecting the guildhall." She announced calmly but fiercely, betraying no hint of hesitation as she stood like a statuesque sentinel.

"That's her adamantine armour!" Happy declared as he pocked his out from behind my legs, making my eyes widen in horror at the realisation of what she intended to do.

"Is she going to try and block the cannon's shot?" Bisca questioned, stepping forwards hesitantly as Alzack narrowed his eyes darkly.

"But there's no way her armour is going to hold up against a blast that strong!"

"You're just risking your life for nothing!" I have to agree, but what can I do? I couldn't absorb that kind of power into my body, I'd break apart and explode, creating an even more powerful blast straight in front of the guild and kill everyone in the city in the process.

"Stay back!" Erza yelled as Natsu tried to leap forwards but Gray restrained him with a full body lock even as Natsu yelled her name and tried to reach out for her.

"You're not gonna be able to stop her, we just need to have faith in her." Gray reasoned, however we watched in terrified horror as the beam of dark energy charged straight for us and struck against Erza's shield. Happy yelped and dove behind me as I took a step forwards, watching as bit by bit, the shield Erza held began to crumble. Just hold on Erza, just a little longer!

All at once Erza cried out as she was flung back by the force of the hit, her armour crumbling but the cannon blast dissipated at the same time, worn out from Erza's powerful blocking spell. "Erza!" I flung myself forwards and jumped into the air as she flew backwards, catching her in my arms and landed in the grove of earth that had been formed by the blast.

She lay in my arms trembling, sweat encasing her body as I grunted in pain from taking the full force of her momentum, slowly turning her over as I knelt on the ground. "Erza? Come on Erza, I know that weak little blast isn't enough to take you down." I whispered to her as I touched her face, brushing back her hair as Natsu came running to us.

"You okay? Say something!" The broken pieces of her armour disappeared from her body as I cradled her in my arms, Natsu kneeling close to me with his arm underneath Erza as well for her support.

"Makarov is fallen and now Erza can no longer stand." A dry, monotonous voice spoke from across the water, the source coming from the castle and instantly I lifted my head with a vicious snarl, eyes glowing bright red with my fangs sliding into view. "Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers. Surrender Lucy Heartfilia immediately, you have no choice."

"That's not gonna happen!"

"Like any guild would hand over one of their own to a monster like you!" Bisca and Alzack agreed with rage resonating in their voices.

"You hear that?" Macao yelled back at the Phantom Lord's leader, Jose Porla. A cheer of agreement rose up from the ranks as everyone yelled back against Phantom and I joined, baring my fangs to them though I doubt they could see.

"I won't ask again!" Jose snarled but then Erza moved in my arms, sitting upright to shout at the top of her lungs.

"We would never betray her like that, you'd have to kill us first!" Natsu lunged to his feet as everyone cheered in unison whilst Erza gripped onto me dependently for support.

"You can stop asking now because we won't give you any other answer! WE'RE TAKING EVERY ONE OF YOU JERKS DOWN!"

"AYE!" Our thunderous bellow lifted up to the skies as I got to my feet, pulling Erza with me as I slung her arm over my shoulder, eyes dripping blood red as I felt my heart quicken its pace in sweet anticipation. They are _not_ taking Lucy from us, not for any reason! Even as Jose gave us a fifteen minute warning, I didn't care if they fired a hundred shots at us. I'd block as many as I could with my own body if that's what it took, I'm going to be brave just like Erza!

Suddenly she collapsed against me and I quickly caught her weight, lowering her back down to the ground as her eyes closed and she went perfectly still. "Erza!"

"Oh no…" Mira whispered, touching Erza's shoulder as Gray turned around.

"She's out! She's the only reason the rest of us are still standing after that first shot."

"We need to get her away from here so she can recover." I said and Mira nodded her head in agreement, however when we heard the panicked voices of everyone else behind us I turned to look to the sky, seeing the sky fill with phantom shapes as they came gliding straight for us.

"We've got to do something about that cannon." Cana announced and I looked to her in surprise as she took the lead, a resolute expression on her face as Natsu turned and punched a fist into his palm.

"I'm going to take that thing to pieces. I've only got fifteen minutes to wreck it, right?" He questioned then started running after Cana gave a nod of her head. "Come on Happy!"

"Aye sir!" I looked up as Gray and Elfman went running past me side by side so I left Erza in Mira's care and used Take Over, turning into my Angel Soul's regular form as the boys raced ahead.

"Let's go Elfman, we're going to storm the place too!"

"Oh yeah!" Everyone gasped as I revealed my wings amidst the golden glow that surrounded me but I didn't wait for them to admire their prettiness but took off, a boom of sound emitting around me as I grasped the both of them by the backs of their shirts and lifted them both off the ground.

"How about I give you boys a ride?" I suggested as they yelled out before twisting their heads to look at me.

"Fae? You can fly?!" Gray floundered at me as I grinned, giving him a wink.

"Sure I can fly, did I forget to mention I have Angel Soul as my main source of magic? Whoops." I chuckled but then Elfman cut off my moment of cheer with a yell of warning.

"Hey, you might want to watch out for those things!" He yelled and pointed with both hands towards the phantoms that came soaring straight for us. My eyes narrowed and my face grew serious, gripping onto both Elfman and Gray with a more secure grip.

"Both of you hang on."

"TO WHAT?!" Not bothering to answer I banked upwards in a tight spin, causing them to yell loudly as I dodged the phantoms and arced to the side, weaving my way through the air as they began to snake around and chase after us, ghoulish moans vibrating from their gaping mouths as they reached out with their clawed hands, almost touching my feet so I snatched them closer.

"These flying creeps are pissing me off. You two! Keep your eyes closed and whatever you do, don't look down!" I yelled over the wind before beginning to spin, tucking my wings in tightly before I tossed them both into the air with all my might, shouting with the force I mustered in my arms and heard them scream like little girls as I spun around and drew both my blades, slicing them instinctively and cut straight through the first few phantoms, making them dissolve into a black mist.

My twin blades whirled through the sky with my fingers guiding them with nimble movements, my body twisting and gliding as I cut through the phantoms that had dared follow me before I sheathed them both with a clear thrum, smirking to myself. "And that's why you should never piss of a ninja assassin angel." I noted to myself, hands proudly on my hips until I heard Elfman and Gray screaming behind me, dropping down with flailing arms and wide eyes. "Oops." Totally forgot about them.

I dropped into a steep dive and reached outward, grabbing Gray into my arms bridal style then wrapped my legs around Elfman just inches above the water before I pulled up, rocketing into the sky as they groaned, trembling from the rush of adrenaline as I made a streak for the enemy guildhall, watching with a smirk as the cannon blew up from within. That's our Natsu! "You owe us big time…I thought I was gonna die…" Gray groaned shakily, his voice wavering on several levels as Elfman gripped onto my ankles for extra security.

"A real man doesn't show fear…I'm not afraid…" He insisted with his eyes rolling in his skull.

"You two are such wimps, I totally knew what I was doing. You should have more faith in me." I scolded before I gave a cry of shock and came to a dead halt, staring in front of me as the castle began to _move_. "What the heck is going on now?"

"Aw man, that's just not fair! Why do they get all the cool toys?" Gray demanded as Elfman punched his fists together.

"I'm gonna wreck that place and show them how a real man fights! With his FISTS!"

"Well then, in that case, you can lead the way." I told him bluntly before flying forwards. I aimed for where the cannon had blown up, finding Natsu coiled on the ground with his face planted into the floor, skin greener than spinach as he groaned with a wizard about to finish him with a fire attack. "You're up Gray!" I called as I dropped him to the ground, letting him go from my arms then released my hold on Elfman too as they yelled, Gray freezing the target into a large ice cube as Elfman transformed his arm into a powerful monster's fist.

"You're not a man. You're a backward shooting snowflake!" He bellowed and I couldn't help but laugh as I dropped to the ground, transforming in the air then landed silently on two feet in a low crouch, the red scarf I wore pulled up to cover the lower half of my face.

"Thanks…you guys…" Natsu said slowly, giving a green faced grin as the three of us stood together, smirking down at him as Happy jumped up into the air.

"You three are so cool! You showed that phantom jerk whose boss."

"What's your deal Natsu? That was just sad." Gray told him bluntly as I leaned into one hip, my arms folded across my chest as I looked down pityingly at Natsu as he clutched his sick belly.

"If you were a real man you'd make the giant motion sick of you." Elfman taunted slightly as we all looked around at Natsu's handiwork. I'll hand it to him, he really outdid himself this time. The place wasn't even whole anymore. Bits of rubble lay on the floor and broken glass thicker than my head was scattered around from where Natsu had wrecked it all apart.

"So is this all that's left of the Jupiter cannon?" Gray asked, arching an eyebrow at Natsu as he slowly staggered to his feet.

"Aye!" Happy chirped, making Gray arch an eyebrow before he gave a single, solitary laugh.

"Then you did good." Natsu looked at the ground a moment then cheered up, returning to his usual colour as he laughed with a wide, toothy grin.

"He must have stopped moving 'cause I feel all better now!"

"I'm gonna go outside and take a look." Happy said and I nodded my head to him in agreement.

"That's a good idea Happy, hurry back and don't let any of those phantom guys catch you. Give a yell if you need help and I'll fly as fast as I can." I told him reassuringly, earning a proud salute before he flew outside to check out what was happening. When he came back, it wasn't good news.

"The giant is drawing an Abyss Circle, a form of forbidden magic and it's aimed right at the city!" He yelled in a high pitched panic, making me sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose as Natsu gripped his hair and almost tore it out in his own franticness.

"What do we do?! We've got to stop them!"

"I guess we should split up and start looking for this thing's power source. Right?" Gray suggested and I looked across to Elfman as he exhaled dramatically.

"Man, are we ever gonna catch a break?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned them all with a smile in my eyes as I started to move away. "I'm having the time of my life here, aren't you guys enjoying yourselves too?" They glanced at one another, a silent conversation passing between them before they all answered in droll unison.

" _No_."

"Sheesh, you're all boring." I chuckled, placing my hands on my hips. "Well, are you guys ready to take this thing apart? My fingers have been itching to start taking revenge for everything these jerks have done. You with me?"

"Yeah!" They cheered and we all punched the air before taking off in different directions, heading straight into the belly of the giant to try and find the power source of what was making the circle. If that circle becomes complete then the entire city would be demolished. Goodbye Fairy Tail, goodbye Magnolia.

I can't let that happen! There are people out there who depend on us. Who depend on _me_. The guild, Lucy, Erza, even little Mimi, I have to put a stop to this! For their sake…I can't fail! With a determined yell I ran into my transform, spreading my wings and gliding out into the air to circle around, searching for an opening on higher ground but instead found Gray on the roof facing a woman in blue.

She was spouting a huge funnel of water straight at Gray, an enraged look on her face as her voice carried high into the thermals as I dove forwards and slipped into the attack in front of Gray, silently activating my magic shield as the crazy lady ventilated her anger. "I've lived my entire life as a gloomy rain woman, but Phantom Lord looked past that! They welcomed me with open arms! I am one of the element four, a proud Phantom Lord wizard!"

"Hey Fae, what's up?" Gray questioned as he stood behind me, my silvery white shield block firmly placed between him and the crazy lady as I grit my teeth, grunting slightly under the strain of her power hammering against me.

"Not much, just…chilling." I answered with a wry grin before I punched a fist forward with a yell, cancelling out the woman's attack and it collapsed upon itself, dropping to the ground as I stood with one fist held outward, my stance low and ready. "Listen lady, if you're going to fight with anger, then take it out on someone who cares!" I yelled at her as she gasped, looking quickly between me and Gray with an accusing glare.

Suddenly her body melted into water and she powered forwards with a yell, her angry eyes bulging out straight at me as I lifted my hands to make the shield once more, however I felt Gray's arms curl around me and an ice shield joined my own barrier, doubling its effectiveness. "How can you be proud to be with them? You and your guild are going down!" Gray gave a powerful yell and punched straight forwards, sending ice racing up the pillar of water that was the rain woman who was forced back into her human form as the rain that speckled down around us turned to tiny ice particles, glittering prettily and I could only stare as Gray stood with one arm wrapped around my stomach, partially pulling me backwards to shield me. "Ice Make Geyser!" With a final punch to the ground I stared in awe as an eruption of ice sprang upwards.

The woman gave a scream as her entire body was encased in Gray's ice before it exploded around her and she fell freely down towards the ground, limp and unmoving. "Ah crap!" Gray hissed and leaped over the side of the castle face, sliding down the roof towards where the rain woman fell as I clenched my fists, forming my wings on my back as Gray caught the woman by her wrist. "Just hold on okay? I promise I'm not going to let you fall."

As I flew out into the open I nodded my head to Gray and fluttered my wings to get closer to the woman, giving her a kind smile as she stared at the both of us in shock. "It's alright, just trust us." I assured her then reached out, placing an arm around her middle then lifted myself higher into the air with a flap of my wings, grabbing Gray's outstretched hand with my other to then fly them back up to the roof where the woman lay down limply on the floor, still in a state of shock.

"Why did you save me?" She asked as Gray sat down beside her, leaning one arm against his knee as I pulled down my scarf from my face to give her a smile.

"Just because. Now get some rest." He answered her and she blinked at him with a look of slight awe as he waited a few moments before turning to look down at her. "You good? You cooled off a little?" She blinked and tears rushed to her eyes however as the sun broke free of the dreary clouds she clenched her eyes shut against the brightness as Gray turned to look up at the clearing sky. "Hey look, the sun's coming out."

"A blue sky…I've never…seen it before…" Her soft whisper made both of us look down at her in shock, eyebrows darting up our brows in disbelief.

"Seriously? Well there you go. It's pretty don't you think?"

"It is." She agreed, eyes glittering with tears of emotion as they slid down her face. "It's truly…beautiful." I turned my face upwards towards the sunlight, smiling into its warm rays as the clouds continued to break apart.

"So…you wanna go at it?" My eyes darted back to Gray as the woman we had suddenly become rather good acquaintances gave a sharp gasp before fainting on the ground, blushing bright red as Gray leaped around and crouched over her in a panic. "Hey! What's the matter? Is something wrong? Talk to me Juvia! You alright?! Answer me!" I couldn't help it, I threw back my head and laughed as Gray fussed over Juvia with worry.

"I gotta say Gray, I didn't think you'd ever be the one to knock out a girl with sweet talking like that, I thought that was more Loke's style." I told him with a wink, placing my hands on my hips with a smirk. "You really know how to charm a woman, don't you?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!" I slapped a hand to my face and sighed, giving a slight shake before I held out my hand towards Juvia in a gesture.

"Next time you ask someone to fight you, choose your words a little more carefully." I suggested to him and he frowned in thought before he gave a horrified yell, blushing bright red as he recoiled comically.

"I didn't mean it like _that_! Aw man…" I gave another giggle before kneeling down at Juvia's side, moving her arms into a more comfortable position as someone came running towards us, calling out our names.

"Gray! Fae!"

"Huh? What's Mira doing here?" Gray questioned as I lifted my head to see both Mirajane and Elfman running straight towards us, stopping before us and looked down at Juvia and her rather love struck facial expression.

"So you took down another one of the element four huh? Why does she have that creepy grin on her face?" Elfman questioned as Gray and I stood up.

"I don't know, must be having a good dream or something." Gray answered as I pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation, speaking to the side so they wouldn't hear me.

"Boys are so dense."

"There's only one left." Mira announced so I turned to look back at her. "If we can defeat them, then I think that will stop the Abyss Break." She explained to us and I blinked before looking towards the circle and the giant hand that was drawing it. Hey, is that thing moving slower than it was before?

"Mira just figured it out. The energy of the element four is what's powering the giant." Elfman supplied as Mira nodded her head with a determined expression on her face.

"We can do this, right guys?" We all nodded our head in unison, stepping closer to one another to stand as a team then looked towards the circle as it was being drawn in the air in front of the giant at a much slower pace than previous.

"See? Look at it now."

"Yeah it's definitely drawing the magic circle slower than before." Gray agreed, standing next to me as I took a deep breath of air, trying to find a scent that may lead us to the last element four wizard.

"Three of the element four have been defeated. Totomaru of the Great Flame was taken out with Jupiter. Elfman totally annihilated Sol of the Earth and Juvia of the Great Sea was taken out of the equation by Gray." Mira explained to us all.

"So there's one left." Elfman mused lowly, his voice rumbling with thick anticipation.

"If we stop him then we'll stop the giant from casting the spell."

"Do you have any idea who the last element is?" Gray questioned and Mira looked towards the head of the giant with a dark and serious look in her eyes.

"Aria of the Great Sky. He'll be the toughest to beat as he's the strongest member of the element four. He's also the one who drained the master of his magical energy, leaving him powerless." Suddenly I heard a loud yell on the wind and I gasped, jerking around as I listened to Natsu's cry of pain.

"Natsu! He's in trouble!" I cried out before stretching out my wings and taking off into the air, everyone calling out after me but I was already focusing ahead. On the air I could smell the wind mage Aria and Natsu's distinct sweat. He was exhausted, he must have tried to take on the wizard by himself. Of all the reckless things!

The pungent smell of magical energy was flowing in the air as Natsu continued to yell in agony and as I flew in through the window, I saw him locked down in an airspace magic field which was draining him of all magical energy. "NATSU!" My scream caused his eyes to fly open and with all the force I could muster, I slammed my feet straight into Aria's chest as he gaped in shock at my arrival and as he was flung backwards onto his back, I grabbed Natsu around the middle and held him at my side as he flumped, going limp as with a powerful beat of my wings I placed more distance between us and the element four mage.

"Fae…glad you…could make it…" He panted for breath as I hovered with a hand held outward, preparing to shield Natsu as Aria got to his feet, eyes blazing with anger.

"It's Fae! Alright! Let's see how you kick butt!" Happy cheered as I slowly dropped to the ground, Aria turning to face me as he got back to his feet.

"I see you have powerful allies Salamander, but this puny little girl won't save you, even if she has a rare magic. My wind magic is far superior!" He yelled but I just shot him a deathly glare.

"Shut it." He balked at my tone and I turned my attention back to Natsu as I settled him back on the ground to rest a little, my hand on the back of his neck as I gingerly touched his face. "Natsu? You okay?" I asked tenderly and he reached up to grip my hand and gave me his signature grin.

"Yeah, I'm all fired up now." He answered, breathing heavily. "Looks like I may have gone a little overboard this time." I laughed at him gently before pulling him into a hug, glad that he was alright. He was beaten up badly and still breathing heavily, all thanks to that jerk over there. Oh he is gonna pay for this. "You go get him Fae, I know you got what it takes. There's a fire in your belly too." Natsu told me as we drew back, placing a playful punch on my shoulder as I nodded my head.

"You got it, just stay back okay? I'll take care of this." Turning around I stood up on my feet and walked towards Aria, a dark glare radiating from me in waves as he bawled his eyes out.

"You two are so adorable! It's so sad I have to finish you!"

"Quit your whining airman, I don't have time for your tears." I cut across him as I began to glow. "Angel Soul, Aerial Spirit!" I called out then lifting my hands as I began to transform, feeling myself become lighter than air as I hovered over the ground, not even needing to touch it as I floated easily like a feather on a breeze. "Let's see what you've got, I'm all fired up and ready to grind you into _ashes_!" With a powerful yell I streaked forwards as Aria growled.

"Nothing can get through my airlock, you won't even be able to touch me!" He bellowed then thrust out his hands, creating a cyclone of spinning air around us and I felt myself grow heavier and heavier as I grit my teeth, forcing myself to keep plunging forwards. "Any who enter will taste the bitterness of death!" Tears streaked down his face. "It's almost too sad!"

"Shut _UP_!" I yelled over the howling wind then disappeared into the air, dematerialising before reappearing behind him, streaking to the side before slicing both my blades across him, causing him to gasp as I cut through his magic air shield then cracked the hilts down upon his neck, knocking him out cold in a single strike. "Don't argue with a woman, let alone one who knows the weak spots of every man. You're just lucky I wasn't feeling brutal today." I told him with a mutter as the air disappeared around us and Arai dropped to the floor like a stone, cold and completely unresponsive as I touched my feet the ground again, returning to my human form as Natsu cheered.

"That was awesome! You took him out in one hit!"

"Now that's scary, she's just like Erza!" Happy said as I gave a deft bow before sliding my katana back into their scabbards, walking forwards to Natsu then held out my hand. He gave me a grin then gripped onto the offered hand and I hauled him up to his feet where I gripped on tightly.

"Let's finish this. All that's left is Master Jose." I said but then a ding of a bell sounded through the castle and the devil's own voice began to speak.

"Listen up you Fairy Tail freaks, listen carefully because I'll only say this once." Suddenly a scream sounded and it sent my blood running cold, my eyes widening in fear as both Natsu and I tensed in sudden anger and rage.

"Lucy!" We both yelled before gritting our teeth, standing in almost identical stances as I felt my eyes burn red with the want for blood.

"We have captured your precious Lucy Heartfilia, which means our first order of business is now out of the way and that leaves us with just one more thing. My favourite part. Wiping all you miserable brats right off the face of the earth." Our shoulders trembled and twitched, our eyes narrowing as our brows furrowed in deep set fury. They've got Lucy and more to the point, they've hurt her.

"I'M GOING TO KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU BASTARDS!" My roar rang through the entire palace as I screamed alongside Natsu, the both of us suddenly igniting into flames as his dragon slaying magic ignited to its fullest peak, setting me alight too. I hardly noticed the touch of his burning flames as they began to wrap around me, my Angel Soul beginning to take over as I suppressed my inner she demon angel, forcing her to back down as I simply could not trust her. I'll take down this Jose guy and Lucy _will_ come home safely. I swear it.

"YOU MONSTERS!" Natsu bellowed as Happy's panicked voice tried to awoke him from the dragon flames that formed the shape of the mythical beast, consuming me as well.

"Natsu look out! You're burning Fae! You'll hurt her too!" Natsu managed to force himself back under control and he spun around to face me, staring in horror at what he had done.

"Fae!" A burst of fire suddenly billowed out with a roar of sound and I stood untouched amidst the flames that now scattered about the room, my eyes burning bright gold as I focused on Natsu, his eyes widening as he stared at me and my wings of burning flame, dragon like in appearance.

"Volcanic Priestess!" I yelled, flinging my arms outward as I stood in my newly awoken form, my anger and rage filling the flames that danced over my wings as my hair fluttered upwards like black smoke, no longer the individual strands of my raven locks. My body was clad in dark amber armour, completely fireproof and stronger than any other form I possessed so far. The one piece suit opened at my bellybutton with a diamond shape cut from the garb, exposing a small part of my torso as my boots rose up to mid thigh with a flame pattern melding into my flesh. My arms were adorned with long bracers in a similar design to my boots, the dark metal wreathed like flames and upon my head I wore a fire opal, burning brightly against the golden circlet I wore, identical in shape to my Aerial form. The main difference, however, was how amongst the smoke of my hair as it crackled with glowing embers, were the two horns that protruded from my skull.

"Wow…that…is…awesome…" Natsu breathed as I stretched out my leathery wings, clicking the fangs of my teeth then gave a slight smirk. "Did I do that?"

"You helped." I answered with a thick rumbling grown before I stalked forwards, an angry fire still burning on my wings. "Now let's go rescue Lucy and meet this so called Phantom Master. I think it's about time we became acquainted." Suddenly the air around us filled with a dark vapour, causing me to stop in place and an instinctive shiver took over me as I smelled death on the air. "Natsu…you sense that?" I whispered and he nodded his head, gritting his teeth as his fists clenched tightly.

"Yeah, I sense it." He agreed before we heard a sarcastic clapping of hands together and we both spun around to find a creepy looking guy walking towards us. His face was angular and darkly pigmented, black lips surrounded by a fine moustache, eyes deep set in his skull with a manic expression in every line that crossed his face.

"Brave, you are both quite keen. Very impressive, Fairy Tail wizards." He spoke with a sardonic drawl, his entire body rippling with dark magic which sent more shivers down my spine. "I knew this would be fun but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be _this_ entertaining. You annihilated the Jupiter cannon, disposed of my elite element four and you even managed to bring my magic giant to its knees." My eyes narrowed and darkened as I took a leap forwards.

"You're Master Jose! You're the creep that's been attacking our guild and kidnapped Lucy!"

"But of course!" He chuckled, flexing his fingers as both Natsu and I stood shoulder to shoulder, preparing to attack as he snorted with more laughter. "You've been so kind to entertain me, I simply must return the favour."

"Bring it on you old jackass!" Natsu yelled but as he moved to surge forwards I held out an arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"No Natsu, let me deal with this, you go and find Lucy and get her somewhere safe." I instructed him, my eyes narrowed and focused sternly on Jose.

"What? No way! You can't take him on all on your own, even I know that." He argued, slicing a hand but I turned a gentle smile on him, softly encouraging him to just trust me.

"Lucy needs you right now Natsu, our main objective is to get her as far away from Phantom as possible, we owe it to her. I'll keep Jose distracted for as long as I can to give you time to rescue Lucy, then we'll see what happens next. I'll be fine, I'm strong enough to hold my own, I'm confident about that. Just don't waste a single moment I give you or there'll be hell to pay." I reached out and touched his shoulder, leaning against him before I shoved him away. "Now go!"

"Come on Natsu, Fae's right, we gotta go save Lucy!" Happy urged, tugging on Natsu's scarf to get him to move and he halted a moment before conceding.

"Alright, but I'm coming back for you too Fae, you can count on that." He promised so I nodded my head firmly in reply before spreading my wings wide, shielding him from Jose as he turned and ran off, leaving me alone with the freak show.

"Wonderful, are you ready my dear?" Jose questioned and spread his hands. In answer I let loose a hissing snarl and flew forwards, my feet racing over the ground as I clenched my fist and ignited it with flames, the power surging through me as I yelled, swinging it straight for Jose who dodged, jerking his shoulder to the side and I began to throw the consecutive punches, lighting up my other fist and continued to strike but each time my throw missed its mark. "You'll have to do better than _that_!" He hissed before thrusting out his hand and a wave of shade magic slammed against my chest, painfully throwing my backwards but I twisted and landed on my feet, regaining my balance before slamming my fists onto the floor.

The ground cracked and broke apart, bubbling with lava as I shouted with my rage, sending the plumes of hot magma shooting straight towards Jose who dodged out of the way to the left but I followed him, shooting magic fireballs straight at him but he blocked them all with his own magic, laughing manically as he continued to dance around me. "Stop moving you little punk!" I yelled before drawing both katana, sweeping forwards with a clap of my wings for extra speed and sliced at him.

My keen eyes followed his movements however as he began to form multiple phantoms, I had to change targets and cut them to dust with lightning fast movements, a fire roaring in my belly until with an outraged battle cry, I felt my eyes fill with the heat of fire and it burst from my mouth in a dragon like breath, burning them all to a crisp before finally I stood still in the centre of the room, panting for breath and struggling to keep standing. This was going to be even harder than I thought, I can barely keep up with this guy.

"Aw, poor little fairy, do you need to cry? Would you like me to fetch your mother so you can hide behind her skirts?" A short intake of breath sounded from me as I froze in place, my eyes widening in hurt at the mention of my mother and I flinched as I envisioned her leaping in the way to protect me. However I then felt my anger flare up once more, rising to a new peak as I growled and my eyes flashed blood red, glaring at him with the full force of their intensity.

"Don't…you… _dare_!" I snarled, shooting forwards and as he sent an attack straight at me I crossed my blades and formed a magic shield before me, blocking the attack and I continued to rush forwards with the flames on my wings bursting into full force. "MENTION…my mother!" Jose's eyes widened in a split second of horror as I sliced my blades as his shade attack sputtered out and with a slash of one of my katana I managed to cut his cheek as he leaped backwards however I moved just as quickly, spinning around with a thunderous roar and used my wings to cloak myself in a fiery robe and used their intense power to ram Jose in the gut, doubling him over. "You are despicable, I shall make you pay for everything you've done with your own blood!"

"Silence!" With a flick of his fingers I felt a shade force slam me backwards into a pillar, making it crack and crumble but as Jose sent more explosions straight for me I dodged out of the way, bounding from side to side and springing off the walls to avoid being hit. "You miserable little wretch, now you've made me MAD!"

"Fae!" I gasped as I heard several voices calling out my name and the pounding of feet as Elfman, Mira and Gray came running forwards, eyes wide in horror as they saw me battling Jose alone. "Hang on Fae!"

"Watch out!" My scream sliced through the air and I reached out for them, however with a blast of his magic Jose sent all three of them flying backwards into stone, causing them to fall unconscious immediately. "You sick, twisted bastard!" I yelled at him, flying forwards and stood before my friends with the intent of protecting them. "When will you learn that Fairy Tail never gives in? I will fight you until the end, no matter whose end it might be. BUT NOW YOU'VE PISSED ME OFF!"

"Well then little fairy, let us see how well you play with your fire. Mind you don't burn yourself." My angry roar was my only response as I streaked forwards, lifting my katana to strike at him but he disappeared from the spot I struck, causing me to hiss and spin around to find him standing behind me. "But you'll need to be faster than that." His hand thrust outward and phantoms sprang to life around me, reaching out with their clawed hands so I flapped my wings and flew into the air to escape them, using my wings to slice them apart where my katana didn't reach.

My heart hammered in my throat as I felt the sweat trickle down my body, chest aching for breath as I struggled to keep up whilst Jose stood there perfectly calm, hardly blinking an eye as I slowly lowered down to the floor, head hanging low and shoulders slumping each time they fell in breath. "Give up, puny fairy. You cannot and will not beat me." He advised before using his magic to send me flying back against the pillar where I screeched in pain then dropped to my knees, groaning softly as my body glowed and I returned to human form, my magic now depleted as I slumped.

A sickening crack and the tremor of breaking stone sounded behind me and I turned my head to see the pillar give way under the second blow of my body and I gasped sharply as the large and heavy stones tumbled down towards me. This was it, I was finished. I clenched my eyes tightly shut, too weak to even move to save myself so I prepared for the pain of being crushed before a slow death, depending on what broke first, however it never came.

My eyes opened and I found that the stones were encased in a soft yellowish gold light, holding them aloft before they gently settled themselves on the ground beside me. What happened? Who did that? As I looked around my eyes fell on the floating form of a tiny cross legged man as he descended onto a pile of rocks, his stern features tightly twisted in a barely contained anger.

"Master?" I whispered before flinching, giving another pained whimper as I tried to get up but my arms gave out underneath me and I lay on my side helplessly, unable to do anything but listen and watch as Master Makarov stood before Jose with his head bowed but not in defeat.

"You have shed the blood of our children….and that is unforgivable! They have been made to suffer because of the incompetence of their parents, we are both to blame Jose." He spoke and I blinked my eyes slowly, forcing myself to stay awake. "This war between us has gone on long enough. Let's end this here and now!" Jose's face slowly lit up with a demonic and psychopathic smile, causing me to shudder at the sight of it as his eyes turned blacker than coal, a luminous purple light surrounding him.

"If we fight it could create a catastrophe." Jose warned as Makarov held two fingers outward and a golden orb appeared at his fingertips, the vein jumping in his neck and brow.

"In order to protect my guild I will gladly take that risk!" The warmth of his light brought me intense comfort and I managed to brush away a tear before I lifted myself back up off my torso and began to pull myself along the ground, winching every now and then as I dragged myself over to Gray as he stirred.

"For some strange reason this light reminds me of the master…" He murmured weakly before lifting his head, staring in awe as Jose and Makarov stood facing one another. My hand touched his back and his head turned to face me as I gave a smile of greeting. "Fae…you okay? What happened to you?"

"I got played with like a puppet on strings." I answered, dragging his arm around me and forced myself to stand with him, my arms gripping his waist as I got us both on our feet.

"You kids need to get out of here!" Makarov yelled as he blocked Jose's first attack with incredible power. For a little guy Makarov sure knows his stuff. I'd like to be as strong as him someday, guess I'll have to keep working on that.

"No gramps! We're staying right here!" Gray yelled back but I lifted a hand to rest against his chest, drawing his attention to me as I struggled to remain upright, gritting my teeth and clenching my eyes tightly shut in pain. Gajeel's attack had left me weak in the first place and now my rage had all but fizzled out. I was losing strength quickly.

"We have to obey him Gray, it's for the best. Master can take on that creep and he'll be able to do it better if we're not here to distract or hinder him. We need to go." I whispered, giving a cry of pain as I fell to my knees and gripped my waist as Gray called out my name and held onto me. "Mira, Elfman, you guys alright?" I asked as they managed to get to their feet.

"We're fine, let's just hurry." Mira assured me breathlessly so with Gray's help I turned and together we all hurried out of that place, crying out each time the ground shook and the walls began to crumble around us. I could feel the two conflicting powers shooting outward like two colliding forces, both of them an ultimate power that had me in spellbound awe.

"Fae concentrate, you need to keep going!" Gray yelled at me as I stumbled once more, struggling to keep on my feet however this time Gray lifted me up over his shoulder and ran with me like that, making me squeak in surprise.

"Put me down Gray! This is embarrassing!"

"Just hang on, you're in no condition to stand on your own!" He snapped back as we slid down the giant's foot and head back to land, Gray still carrying me over his shoulder all the way back to the guild which now lay in ruins. I think I blacked out at some point as the next thing I was aware of was laying back against Gray's chest as he held me, a bright light encompassing the entire Phantom Lord guildhall giant, vanquishing every phantom menace around and filling the sky with a brilliant radiance that awoke me from my pain and exhaustion.

"What is that?"

"It's Fairy Law." Erza explained as she walked forwards with a smile on her lips, gazing into the light. "A spell which vanquishes darkness with a sacred light. It only affects those that the caster sees as their enemy." My head instantly lifted as the words reached my ears. Vanquishes darkness? A spell like that could change everything for me, if I knew how to cast it then…then I wouldn't have to be so afraid of the dark. "Incredible, isn't it? It's one of the most legendary spells in existence."

"I'll say." I whispered, still curled up in Gray's arms as he held me protectively close to him and I felt too vulnerable and tired to move away from him. In the distance we all looked to see the master stand at the head of the giant, looking towards us as his ancient voice carried towards us boldly.

"We are victorious! But I had very little to do with it, this victory is yours my children!" He cheered and we all answered with a resounding celebratory cheer, lifting the forefinger of our left hand high into the air as we yelled, smiling broadly. Gray suddenly tackled me with a hug, making me grin broadly before I yelped in pain, elbowing him in the gut as I looked to my bruised and grazed torso, groaning slightly.

"This is going to sting for a long time, isn't it?" The only answer I received was another chorus of laughter and cheering, so I gave a shrug and laughed with them, closing my eyes to bathe in the sense of victory and sweetness of success.


	18. Interrogations

**Sorry for the wait, my internet was down for a couple of days but I got it fixed up now :) Back to the story!**

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As I walked towards the Fairy Tail guildhall I smiled at the reconstruction work that was going on. Due to my rather beaten up and broken condition, Erza had forbidden me to help out as my arm was back in a sling and my body so heavily bandaged I could hardly breathe, however after a couple of weeks rest I disposed of them all despite the healers insisting I keep them on for longer. I healed at a much faster rate than normal and those things feel like snakes tightening me up so that they could fit me down their throat.

Work was coming along pretty fast with everyone pitching in, doing their shifts and fair share of work whilst not on job requests. Once the board had gone back up, everyone had rushed to take a job just to get some money flowing again. I was glad that I'd saved up, as with Levy out of action for the time being I was able to cover her side of the rent on the second month when she fell short by a few thousand jewel.

The plan was to build the guildhall to be bigger and better than ever before, expanding it so that we could fit in the ever growing ranks as people practically flocked to our doors wanting to join, however the master had to turn them away as Fairy Tail wasn't in any condition to be accepting fresh blood due to the state we were all in and most, if not all of the wizards were either fake wannabes or too young to actually be legally allowed to join. It was kind of surprising though, everyone was talking about the war between the two rival guilds and a reporter came whilst Lucy and her team were out on a quest. I bet she'll be sad to have missed this.

However my greatest shock came when the guy practically _drooled_ all over, demanding that I do a photo shoot and let him interview me as apparently, I was a hot topic among the wizard fans, wanting to know everything about the new Angel Soul mage who could apparently rip through metal with her bare hands and was so devastatingly beautiful that everyone fell in love with her upon sight.

"But I'm nothing like that! You've got this all wrong!" I freaked with a frantic wave of my hands as the reporter started to back me up into a corner, still pleading with me.

"But you just have to! Sorcerer Weekly want to do a special feature all about you, it's gonna make me rich!" He whined, tears practically spilling down his face as I pressed my back into the wall, staring wild eyed as I tried to find a way out. "Please, show me your angel forms! Is it true you can alter your image to whatever you want? Do you change your clothes the same way Erza Scarlet requips? You have to reveal all your secrets! I wanna know everything about you from your tastes to your eating habits and all about your past! It's going to be an article worthy of awards!"

"I said _NO_!" My hands sliced downward at the ground and I disappeared from sight, moving in the blink of an eye to then stand behind the reporter with my arms folded across my chest.

"What…where'd she…wow! You move so fast!" As the reporter ran at me I held out my palm and he ran straight onto it, smacking himself in the face and even knocked himself out as I then drew back and flexed my fingers.

"I can't rip through steel, but I can knock you out with my bare hands." I answered simply before walking away, giving a frustrated sigh as Mira giggled.

"I'm sorry about him, he can get a little over excited whenever he meets a fan favourite."

"That's what I don't get, why am I suddenly all the rage? I've been in Fairy Tail over a year now and it's never been that much of a big deal before." I reasoned with a slight frown to her as I sat down at the bar, glancing over my shoulder to the reporter who remained completely cold on the ground, a group of people hovering over him in concern.

"Well actually, you're more popular than you think. Do you ever read Sorcerer Weekly?" She asked and when I shook my head she drew out the latest copy then flicked through the pages before setting the magazine down on the worktop and turned it around to show me a page spread where big bold letters jumped out at me. 'Who is this Angel of Mystery?' Arching an eyebrow I looked over the few pictures that had been captured of me, or at least, as much of me as the photographer could capture. My face was never seen completely as I was always moving too fast or busy with the job I had taken, however to my horror there was one where I was sitting at the ice cream parlour with Loke, the photo haven been taken of the window we were sitting at. Thank god I had sat with my back to the window and the image only just captured the lower half of my face as I'd turned slightly to look out the window. 'Is this our favourite wizard's latest catch? Tales of love in Fairy Tail!'

"AGH! WHAT IS THIS MIRA?!" I practically erupted, flinging myself back from the magazine as the article began to talk about what was known about me with interviews with some of my clients. There was even an artist's impression of me where I had been drawn to look way more beautiful than I really was.

"Isn't it sweet? They think you and Loke are dating!" She smiled with a giggle at me, closing the magazine as I hid my face behind a crimson blush, groaning with embarrassment. "They've mentioned you almost every week for the past month now, they're certainly desperate for any kind of information they can get on you!"

"This is bad, this is very, very bad." I mumbled before dropping my hands and exhaling. "I do _not_ want to be some sort of celebrity. That kind of stuff is for pretty girls like you! I'd rather face a hundred monsters than a camera lens!"

"Smile!" I gave a yell as the reporter popped up in front of me and snapped a photo of my face, causing me to whip out my leg and I smacked the camera from his hands and sent it flying into a wall, smashing it to pieces as I took fast breaths to keep myself from having a full blown panic attack.

"Are you CRAZY?! Don't EVER take a photo of me again or I'll fly you to the moon and LEAVE YOU THERE!" I shrieked before sitting back and exhaling, Mira gently patting my arm whilst I recovered. The reporter stood there, his fingers twitching as he stared at the empty space in his hands where his camera had been and I winced guiltily. "Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean to flip out like that, but I get nervous around strangers. Especially if they're all in my face." I tried to explain as he continued to stand in the same position but then he looked at me with his wide eyes.

"Are you kidding me? That…was…awesome! No wonder everyone is so crazy about you! You're the perfect model for my next article!" Suddenly he fell on his hands and knees and started to bow at my feet in the most ridiculous manner I had ever seen. "Oh please, please, please! Please just answer a few questions!" He clapped his hands together with his head remaining bowed practically to kiss the floor. "I'm begging you! I'll do anything, absolutely anything!"

"Okay fine!" I caved, smacking a hand to my face as I grew fed up with the begging. "Just a few questions but don't expect anything about my history because I'm not telling you anything about that. My business is my business and I'm not going to let some nosy reporter go poking around where their nose isn't wanted." I told him sharply before rolling my eyes. "Please, just get up. You're drooling on the floor."

"Thank you!" He leaped to his feet and gripped my hands in mine, making me recoil nervously as he bowed his head ardently once more. "I promise I'll be fast, just a few questions and I'll be out of your hair!" Something tells me this is a bad idea. "Okay, here goes. What sort of style is your thing right now? Are you sticking with your ninja theme or is that just your quest uniform? What do you wear when you're not working?"

"Yes this is my current 'outfit', as you say. It's durable, comfortable, flexible and very practical." I answered him, glaring behind my closed eyes as I kept my arms stiffly folded across my chest. "However when I am on respite I choose to wear a simple shirt and a long skirt for a change of clothing."

"Wonderful! Now, what was your hardest battle to date? Was it the demon of Yama Town? The shadow mercenary group of the mining village or was it the recent battle against Jose of Phantom Lord?" I arched an eyebrow at the guy as he quivered in anticipation.

"Should I be worried about how you know so much about my job requests? They're all hard, no battle is truly easy. It's a test of your strength and intellect, which means there is always a chance that you will lose as much as a chance you will win. I try not to worry about whether I fail or not, I simply focus on doing my job and protecting those who need protecting and to eventually get home to Fairy Tail."

"A very diplomatic answer, I see…" He murmured as he scribbled down before lifting his grinning face back at me. "What is your favourite food?"

"Ice cream."

"Favourite colour?"

"None."

"Is there a chance we will be able to see a development of your powers? More angel forms, new magic transformations, anything of the sort?" I gave an exasperated sigh.

"Magic can always be developed and strengthened, there will never be a point when you have learned all there is to learn. Yes I will continue to train and develop my powers as much as I am capable but that doesn't mean that I'll be very successful. Angel Soul is a rare and unique ability, even I don't fully comprehend its capabilities. As far as I am aware, it reacts to the situation around me and unlocks the powers I need as necessary in order to protect myself and those around me." I explained to him and waited as he scribbled down my answer with fast movements, muttering under his breath as he repeated my words.

"So, is it true that you and the heartthrob wizard Loke are officially dating? Or are you just one of his many? How do you feel about him? Are you in love with him?" At the leering stare I blushed deeply and looked away, shifting uncomfortably as I reached up and began to run my fingers through my hair quickly at the uncomfortable feeling I was receiving at his look.

"N-no of course not, don't be ridiculous. Loke and I are just friends. We've been through thick and thin together and we're fairly close but that doesn't mean we're dating or anything and there's no way anything would ever happen between us. I'm just not his type." I muttered quickly as Mirajane gave a soft giggle.

"You're blushing Fae." She informed me with a cheeky wink, making me blush even further.

"I am not!" I retorted haughtily before spinning around to turn my back on the reporter. "I've answered enough questions. I think you should leave." I informed him stoically as his wild cackle sounded behind me so I glanced over my shoulder.

"Understood, I have enough here to write a glowing article about you! Make sure you read next week's edition! You'll be the main topic of discussion!" I slapped a hand to my face and almost fell off my stool.

"I knew I should have just kicked him out of here." I muttered to myself as Mira chuckled.

"That was rather sweet of you Fae, you made him very happy." She told me before leaning closer with a mischievous look in her eyes. "So what's this I'm hearing about you and Loke? You two have grown rather close have you?"

"It's nothing like that!" I insisted, laughing nervously. "We just sometimes bump into one another at the ice cream parlour in town, I'm practically always there and he sometimes comes by with a girlfriend of his or two! We just sit and talk!"

"Uh huh, then why are you still blushing?"

"I'M NOT BLUSHING!" Hiding my face behind my hands I refused to meet Mira in the eye as she giggled behind her hand with a knowing wink at me. Ah man, I'm totally making a mess of things now. My head lifted however when I sensed Lucy, Gray and Natsu return from their quest.

Lucy looked like she had just eaten sour grapes whereas the boys were both heavily patched up and were still glaring at one another with their heads rammed against one another's, growling darkly as Erza strode over. When Mira asked her what had happened, she explained about them finishing the job early and going to a spa where the consequential pillow fight had gotten a little out of hand.

"Make sure those two stay out of trouble, I have to go speak to the master." Erza said as Elfman walked over and stood behind his sister.

"What's with the two of them?" He questioned as Mira smiled sweetly at the two boys who continued to glower darkly at one another.

"Evidently they were both hurt during a pillow fight after their last job." She explained in her singsong like voice. Elfman arched an eyebrow then gave a deep sigh, shoulders slumping.

"If they're that banged up then those pillows must have been full of bricks." He mused and I had to agree with him. They look worse than when they'd emerged from the guild war with Phantom Lord, and that had been a full scale battle!

"It was just a pillow fight, what were you getting so worked up about?!" Gray demanded as they continued to grind their heads against one another, neither of them letting up an inch.

"Cause I give everything one hundred percent!" Natsu yelled back, their teeth bared at one another. Jeez, they're like a pack of wild dogs sometimes, complete animals. Why can't they just play nice and get along? Or at least just ignore each other. Then again if that happened then life wouldn't be half so interesting here at the guild.

"Oh like when you one hundred percent lost?"

"I was awesome! You were the one who lost!" Suddenly they both turned around to face Lucy, who still hadn't moved from her seat since getting back to the guild. She looks pretty put out, I wonder what the matter is?

"Lucy! _I_ won the pillow fight, _right_?!" They both yelled at her however when Lucy turned around, her face was set like carven stone and her voice dropped a few octaves, deadly serious and dangerous.

"Put a sock in it." The boys both recoiled in fear then went obediently lax, hanging their heads under Lucy's ardent glare.

"We're sorry, we'll be quiet now…" They said humbly before slouching away in shame. Pretty neat, I thought only Erza could get them to get along just like that. My eyes flickered over to Lucy with concern then glanced to Happy who shared my worried look before we both moved closer to her.

"Hey Lucy." I greeted but she only grunted in reply.

"What's wrong? You seem like you're in a bad mood." Happy stated as Lucy continued to eat her food that Mira had brought out to her, nose slightly lifted as she stuffed forkfuls into her mouth.

"Deal with it, I'm always like this."

"Are you still mad at me about that Plue thing?" He asked her but Lucy just blinked at him.

"You've got to be kidding me! You think I'm petty enough to get hung up on some prank?" This was definitely not at all like Lucy, she would never speak to Happy that way and it was beginning to bug me, so I let her know it by slapping a hand on the table, making her jolt violently before she relaxed and exhaled. "Look, I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Hey, you can always talk to me!" Happy answered brightly, lifting a paw up in the air but Lucy only hung her head.

"I'll pass. Thanks anyway though." At Happy's hurt face I lifted him off the worktop and rubbed his ears to cheer him up, making him purr in my lap as I shifted around so that I faced Lucy.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing that can't be fixed." I told her gently and she lifted her eyes to look rather dejectedly into mine. "After all, a problem shared is a problem halved, and if it's secret then you can always count on me to keep my lips sealed. Happy? Not so much. You give him a fish and he'll tell you anything." I said with a chuckle as Happy sprung off my lap and gave me an imposing glare, placing his hands on his hips as he stood on the surface of the bar.

"Hey, that's not true!" He argued fiercely however when I pulled out a fish and dangled it in front of him his eyes suddenly became large and sparkly, misting over as his paws pressed against his drooling jaws whilst I waved it too and fro in front of him.

"Who was it who tried to put hair dye in my shampoo last month Happy?" I asked him with a knowing smirk on my face, watching as his eyes followed the movements of the fish as it swayed left to right.

"It was Natsu's idea but I was the one who put the dye in the bottle!" He instantly revealed, making me chuckle before I handed it over to him. I had guessed as such but confirmation was always good, now I could get them back for it. At least I was able to smell the dye before I'd actually used the shampoo. Turning my head I gave Lucy a wink as she giggled, brightening up a little but then a commotion pulled our attention towards a group of girls, some of whom I recognised.

"I've been looking all over for Loke, where is he?!" Sure enough, they were all Loke's girlfriends. Two of them I had encountered more recently, for example the one who was shrieking in Mira's face as the others stood with impatience.

"I can't believe he ran out on me." The one with the cropped fringe pouted as the other two glared at one another.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"Loke come back!" The bluish haired girl with the cropped fringe whined loudly, making my ears sting as I glanced over my shoulder to where I could smell Loke's scent. He was hiding from them. I wonder what happened. He's still acting pretty weirdly. I'd hardly seen him since the Phantom incident and he's been purposefully avoiding me, running away whenever I got too close so I'd never chased after him, wanting to give him his space.

"What's going on over there?" Lucy questioned and Happy looked up from where he gnawed on his fish.

"They're a bunch of girls from around town. From the looks of things they all think they're Loke's girlfriend." He explained simply and we all looked on with curiosity as they all began to sob and whine pitifully like heartbroken girls.

"Last night he said he wanted to break up with me!"

"And he broke up with me too!"

"And me!"

"What's going on?! Why doesn't he want me anymore huh? Why?!" Mirajane looked utterly flustered and perplexed, trying her best to soothe them all as she somehow managed to keep on smiling at them.

"Well…uh…" The girls all inched closer and my eyes narrowed at the threatening looks they were sending Mira's way.

"Is he getting married to some _other_ girl?"

"Um…no!" Mira tried to pacify them but the first girl, the one wearing a long violet dress with beautiful brown hair and eyes slammed her palms onto the bar and leaned dangerously close to Mira who shrank back as her eyes burned darkly.

"Who is she? Is she someone from the guild?!" Suddenly Mira spun around and threw her hands up in the air with a pleading squeak.

"Lucy! Save me!" The group of girls now turned on Lucy who yelped in fear, leaning back away from them as their eyes burned accusingly at her, all of them gathering closer as they all stood menacingly. They're taking this a little too far. I always knew Loke's girlfriends were crazy, but this was insane!

"So is _this_ the girl?"

"Well she dresses like a tramp."

"She thinks she's cute."

"Don't tell me Loke's gonna marry _her_!"

"AGH!" Lucy's panicked yell rocketed through the construction site as she fled the scene, hands thrown up in the air with her feet moving as fast as they could. "Why'd you have to drag me into this mess Mira?!"

"Get her!" Deciding it was time to intervene I pushed myself off from the bar and skidded across the dry ground, throwing a hand out to the side to block their path from getting to Lucy as she escaped with her life. "Out of our way! Wait a minute, you're that trashy girl Loke always hangs out with if he's not with us! I bet _you're_ the real reason Loke's broken up with us. You're keeping him all to yourself!" They all began to accuse me in unison, shouting their own insults as I stood there and took them, letting them bounce off me harmlessly.

"Don't be ridiculous. Maybe Loke just came to his senses and decided he didn't want to be weighed down by so many pathetic _brats_ like you." I answered, lowering my arm and took a firm stance. "Now I'm warning you, you are all going to leave Lucy alone as she has nothing to do with this. Also, you're going to respect Loke's wish for some time to himself and leave him alone, or you'll have me to deal with." The girls all glanced at one another with perplexed expressions before glaring at me again.

"Or what? It's not like you can make us. Loke will come back to us, he always does. This is just a temporary lapse which will end soon and _you'll_ be the one saying you're sorry for treating us this way. Loke always defends us and he'll kick you aside if we ask him to." I paused slightly before narrowing my eyes.

"Go ahead, I don't care. He's been ignoring me these past four months as if we'd never even met so I doubt there's much more he could do that would hurt me." I told them before taking a menacing step closer, lowering my weight slightly as I gripped my hands into fists at my side. "But I still care about him, no matter how much distance he puts between us! So you girls had better _get out_ before I decide to turn into my Black Heart Angel Soul and send you flying!" As my voice rose they whimpered, clinging to one another before bolting for the exit, running as fast as they could with their tails tucked between their legs.

"You could really give Erza a run for her money you know." Mira told me with a hand gingerly touching her cheek. "Has Loke really been pushing you away all this time?" I nodded my head as I slumped, my eyes cast downward. "Why didn't you tell me Fae? You must be feeling so hurt, no wonder you haven't been performing your best in battle." I looked up at her quickly, eyes widening slightly as she gave me a smile. "Come on, you and I both know that Take Over magic works best when the wizard is perfectly at peace within themselves, it gives them greater control over their alternate forms."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I sighed in agreement, scuffing the ground with my shoe before I took Lucy's place at the bar and began to spin her plate around distantly, my head an avalanche of thoughts. "Maybe you should put this away, Lucy might come back for it later." I suggested and Mira nodded her head in agreement before taking the plate away to store it in the cooler.

It was painfully quiet in the guildhall with no one around except for Happy, but he'd fallen asleep after his filling fish. The only sound was his snoring so I smiled at his cute sleeping form, giving his belly a gentle tickle before I sighed and pressed my face into my hands.

Everything was changing so fast, I wasn't sure what to do anymore. My next point of call would be to take a job I suppose, this month's rent will be due soon and Levy still isn't well enough to work so I've been taking large jobs to make up for it. She promises she'll pay me back but I feel a little guilty about accepting money from her, even if it is a fair repayment.

What made me feel completely hollow, however, was how distant Loke had become. I wish he'd talk to me, even if it was just to clear the air between us. I couldn't' help but feel hurt and a little abandoned by him, he'd promised that he'd always be there for me now it was like he was going back on his word. He'd already left the guild, I could smell his scent walking away but as much as I wanted to, I knew that the worst thing for me to do would be to go after him. He'd just run away from me again.

All I could do was wait.


	19. Catching A Falling Star

**Sorry about the long wait guys, I was without internet with nearly a week. o_0 No idea how I managed not to tear my hair out, it was very frustrating. Anyway, here's the last chapter of the first part of Fae's story, I will have the next story up very soon I promise, thank you to everyone who reviewed with such amazing and positive feedback, you guys really helped me feel better when I was feeling a little down about stuff, I really appreciate your support, thank you so much! Anyway, here's the last chapter, dedicated to all you amazing people :)**

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"Fae! Fae you gotta help us!" Natsu's fiery feet hammered down my door and he came skidding into the front room where I had been reading, making me shriek and fall off the sofa as Levy came strolling in from the kitchen.

"Hi Natsu, what's the matter?" She asked as I grasped the sofa and pulled myself upright with a groan, rubbing my head where I had struck the floor.

"This had better be good Natsu, you interrupted me at a critical point in my book." I warned him but then blinked as I saw how he was racking breaths into his body and his mouth gaped open, eyes wide and serious as he sliced a hand at the air.

"It's Loke! You've gotta talk some sense into him, he'll listen to you!"

"Loke? What's happened?!" Instantly I was on my feet and running to Natsu, grabbing him by his scarf and shook him violently. "Tell me fast!"

"He quit the guild this afternoon and he's disappeared without telling anyone why or where he was going! Something's going on here and I wanna know what! You have to come with me to talk some sense into him Fae, you and Loke have been pretty close, maybe he'll listen to what you've got to say." My eyes widened and I dropped Natsu as I stared forwards, shock slamming against me as Levy gasped.

"That's horrible! He just got up and left? That's totally not like Loke!"

"I know!" Natsu yelled before grabbing my hand to pull me away. "So come on already! We need to find him before his scent disappears!"

"No." I answered, pulling my hand back as I bowed my head. "Please Natsu, I think it's best if I go after him alone." Looking up at him imploringly I struggled to keep my emotions in check. "I'll find Loke and at the very least get him to tell me why he's running away. If he truly wants to go then I won't stop him, but I've had enough of him running away from me." Natsu made to argue but Levy reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Leave this to Fae, she knows what to do." She suggested gently. "Everything will be okay, you'll see." I have Levy a grateful nod then walked out of our house into the night air, taking a deep breath and closed my eyes as a hundred smells rushed towards me and I searched through them all before I found a particular scent. Strangely, it was rather close by. Loke had been here earlier this evening, he must have stood right outside our house before leaving.

Turning I spread my hands and started to run with the wind, touching the ground with only the tips of my toes as I streaked forwards like a shadow, causing a powerful gust of wind in my wake as I followed Loke's scent all of the way out of the city and towards a solitary peak where a crescent moon shaped waterfall cascaded down into a seeming abyss, high up in the mountains outside the city.

Sure enough Loke's scent led straight to a single rock that jutted out from the mountainside and as I reached the shrubbery that cluttered before it, I stopped to look at him. He was standing before a tombstone with his head bowed, his figure completely lax and slumped in desolate depression. What had happened to him? This was worse than I thought, he's spiralled into a blackness that I couldn't sense because I was too blind to see.

"Loke." He turned around at the sound of my soft whisper and I walked out from the bushes and continued until I stood directly before him, my eyes flinching with slight hurt. "What are you doing here?"

"I knew you'd be the one to find me." He stated, giving an affectionate smile as he reached out and touched his hand to my face, tenderly cupping my cheek as I felt a tear slide free but he brushed it away with his thumb. "Please don't cry, you're too pretty to cry."

"Then tell me why you're acting this way." I retaliated quietly, unable to bring myself to look at him. "You've been pushing everyone away for months now, you quit the guild, and now you're standing in front of someone's grave. It's almost like you're giving up on life!" Pressing my lips firmly together I shook my head to get rid of the tears. Instead I looked past him to read the name on the stone, registering that it was dedicated to a Celestial Spirit Wizard from Blue Pegasus. "Who is she? Karen Lilica." When I said her name I saw Loke flinch so I reached up and took his hand from my face, holding it in my own. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I should have probably told you a long time ago." He answered with his eyes averted from mine. "I don't have much time left, Fae, it won't be long now before I fade away and cease to exist." My breath caught in my throat at his words, eyes widening as he gripped onto my hand a little more tightly. "Time's slipping away…but I'm glad I get to share these last few moments with you, Fae. My only regret is I didn't take advantage of the time I did have with you. I shouldn't have pushed you away, instead I should have spent more time _with_ you. Can you forgive me?" I gave an admittedly pathetic smile, still struggling to understand what he was saying but I nodded all the same, leaning into his touch.

"Always." Loke exhaled a breath of relief and I saw a weight seemingly lift from his shoulders. "But why are you saying that you're dying Loke? Are you sick?"

"No, I wish it were that simple." He answered me but then gave a hiss of pain, lifting his hand away from me and as I held onto it I watched as it flickered in my grasp, fading from sight before returning to substance right before my eyes. "It's close now." Loke turned his eyes back to look at me deeply, stepping back slightly and reached into his pocket. "I got you something." His whisper sent a shiver down my spine and I watched as he pulled out a red velvet box from his jacket pocket then held it out to me. "Something to remember me by, I hope you like it."

Arching an eyebrow in surprise I reached out with my hands and took it carefully, running my hand over the soft exterior before slowly lifting the lid. My eyes widened as I saw the fine gold chain and the pair of angel wings that gleamed softly in the moonlight, settled against the black cushioning with the sign of Leo on top, the small circle with the arching line. It was beautiful.

"Loke…" Without a word he lifted the necklace out of the gift box and stepped around behind me, lifting his arms then secured the clasp around my neck. My hand lifted and brushed against the pendant as it settled neatly against my collarbone, perfectly placed against my skin. I was glad I'd forgotten to pick up my scarf before leaving to chase after Loke.

Hot tears streaked down my face as Loke wiped them away with the side of his hand, still standing behind me, leaning closer as he wrapped his arms around me. "Don't cry." But I only cried harder at his attempt at comfort, spinning around in his grasp and clung onto him tightly.

"You're not going anywhere Loke! I won't let you! Just tell me how to help you and I'll do it, I'll do anything so long as it means you get to stay here with the guild. We need you there, I need you!"

"There isn't anything you can do Fae, the truth is I'm not who you think I am." Loke told me in his soft voice, running his fingers through my hair as he rocked me from side to side in a gentle sway. "The truth is…I'm a celestial spirit." My eyes drifted open at his words, my lungs freezing slightly before I relaxed once more and tightened my grip on him. Of course, now it all made sense.

"I always knew you were something special Loke, something not quite normal. Your scent gave you away you know. Everyone else has their unique scents but they're all earthy and tangible. Yours has always been…impalpable." Loke gave a quiet chuckle in my ear as we refused to break away from one another. "What are you doing here then? Isn't it dangerous for spirits to stay in the human world?" I questioned him, drawing back slightly but still remained in his arms, his head leaning against mine as I gazed up at him with tearstained lashes.

"Yes, but I don't have a choice. I was banished here for something I did in my past. I broke one of the celestial laws and now I can never go back." He told me, opening his eyes to look down into my eyes. "I've lived for as long as I can in the human world but now my life force is beginning to deteriorate, I'm not going to last now that the dematerialisation has begun." Loke gave me an affectionate smile, reaching up and gently pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "I'm glad I met you princess. You've been a real friend."

"Ditto." I answered before turning my head into his chest, hiding my heartbroken expression from him. I was going to lose him and there was nothing I could do to save him. Trust me to fall for the guy who just happened to be someone I could never have no matter how the story played out. It was almost like the world enjoyed playing cruel jokes on me. Without knowing it, I shivered at the thought.

"You're cold." Loke noted then opened up his jacket to wrap it around me, giving me a small smirk as I glanced up at him. "I'll protect you from the cold pretty princess, your knight in shining armour isn't gone yet."

"I'll miss this jacket." I whispered to him in return, making him chuckle. "It's so warm…"

"You won't miss me then?"

"Of course I will you dummy." I rolled my eyes then inhaled his scent slowly, savouring it in my mind and committed it further to memory. "I'll never forget you either, I promise, but can you promise me one thing?" Lifting my head I wriggled my arm up out of his warm jacket folds and brushed my fingers through his hair whilst being painfully aware of the firm muscle that I was being pressed against rather tightly. It took everything I had in me not to blush. "If you happen to reach the stars again and you find heaven…would you find my mom for me? Tell I'm sorry and…and that I love her." Loke's eyes blinked in surprise before he nodded his head.

"I promise." Satisfied and greatly comforted I resigned to leaning against Loke as his fingers expertly combed through my hair, brushing them into silky locks with one arm remaining curled around me. I don't care how long I have to stand here, I refuse to leave him until the very end and I've watched him disappear before my very eyes. It'll hurt but I owe it to him. I don't want him to have to fade alone.

"There you are." I jerked violently and leaped away from Loke in shock, flailing my arms wildly as Lucy walked towards us.

"Lucy! Wh-what are you doing here?" I stuttered, flushing bright red with embarrassment as she walked towards us.

"The whole guild's looking for you." She explained before looking to the tombstone that stood behind us. "That's Karen's grave isn't it?" Loke suddenly choked and I arched an eyebrow in surprise, glancing between Lucy and Loke as she stood hugging her arms. "She was a great celestial wizard and she had a contract with you, right?" Wait, how did she know about Loke? "The spirit Loke…no wait…that's not really your name. Your name is Leo. Leo the lion."

"Leo…" I breathed and my hand reached up for the necklace that I now wore. It already felt warm against my neck and I felt the wings with their intricately engraved feathers and the smoothness of the sign of Leo, my star sign. It meant so much more to me now that I knew.

"Well I won't deny it, but how did you find out?" Loke asked, giving Lucy a small smile, a small sign of praise for her intuition.

"Don't forget I'm a celestial wizard too and that I have contracts with a lot of spirits. It wasn't too hard to dig up the truth. Still, you should have come to me to talk about this. Normally whenever the owner of a gate key dies the contract between spirit and wizard is terminated. The spirit is then forced back into their world until the key falls into new hands and a new contract is made. Your contract with Karen should have ended on the day she died, I don't understand why you're still here. I've never heard of that before! I mean, that's just not the way it's supposed to work, right?" I listened to Lucy intently, walking over to her side to watch Loke as he remained standing dejectedly with his head lowered. "I know your kind can't survive in this world for long, just like humans can't survive in your world. It'll slowly sap away your life until finally there's nothing left."

"That's right, and it's been three years now." Loke revealed, making both Lucy and I practically lose our heads as we both yelled in unison.

"Three years?!" Lucy's eyes were wide as she stared at Loke. "I didn't even think _one_ was possible!"

"Pretty amazing huh? But I don't have the strength to keep it up."

"Hold on, there's got to be some way that I can save you! Why can't I just open a gate for you?! Tell me why you can't go back to the spirit world." Lucy demanded but Loke turned his back to us.

"You don't need to save me."

"What the hell do you mean by that Loke?" My fists clenched as I bent my elbows, narrowing my eyes at him. "If there's anyone who can help you it's Lucy, don't push us away when we can do something to keep you alive! I won't let you give up your life just like that!"

"Look, there's no way I can go back." I hate how Loke's voice was remaining so calm and soft mannered whilst I stood here wanting to scream and tear my hair out. He's being an idiot!

"But why?!"

"I broke a fundamental law that applies to both wizard and spirit and as a result, I was banished from the celestial world for eternity." Both Lucy and I started, our eyes filling with emotion as Lucy's tiny voice whispered, barely audible over the roar of the cascading water.

"Loke…just what did you do?"

"I can't deny my crime, so I have no choice but to face the punishment." He told us darkly as he turned around and faced us, clenching a fist in front of him as he refused to meet our gaze. "I'm a traitor to my own kind. I was contracted to Karen but she died…because I killed her." Shock struck me like a bolt of lightning, sending a shooting tingle down my spine as my mouth gaped slightly at Loke. "It was about three years ago." He started before beginning to tell his story from the beginning.

He alongside another celestial spirit, the zodiac Aries, were contracted to Karen. She was a mean hearted wizard who took pleasure in hurting Aries who was considerably weaker and more timid than Karen and she took advantage of it. In a way Aries reminded me of what I used to be like and I felt a deep empathy for her and a sparking hatred for Karen. Loke told us about how Karen had planned to lock Aries in the human world for a week just because her master at Blue Pegasus had gotten angry at her for treating Aries so deplorably. Loke had switched places with his friend to try and put a stop to Karen's abuse, wanting to end the mistreatment once and for all.

"I tried my best to stop her but I couldn't do much as Aries and I were still contracted to her. So I stayed in the human world to keep her from calling Aries and to try and force her into releasing us both from our contracts. Without either of us Karen couldn't take any jobs, I hoped to push her to desperation but…after three months she took a job anyway and tried to open Aries's gate but wasn't strong enough to succeed. She died as a result." I lifted my hand and touched my chest where I could feel my heart beating firmly against my ribs, sorrow and pity filling me to the core. "It was my fault she died and I've lived with guilt ever since. When someone dies they're gone forever. I wish I could bring her back but it's just not possible. The only way I can make things right is if…I could die too." A moment passed of silence, no one knowing what else to say. That was a horrible story, I hope Aries found a better contractor after Karen at the very least.

Suddenly Loke gave a gasp of pain and his knees buckled, making both Lucy and I cry out as I surged forwards and caught him in my arms, falling to the ground with him as he began to fade and shift in my grasp until I could see right through him. "Loke!"

"I guess this is it, it's my time."

"What do you mean _your time_?!"

"You can't leave us Loke, I'll fly all the way to the stars and bring you straight back if I have to!" I yelled in anger, seething silently as I hugged his shoulder. "I won't let you give in like this! This is not the way to repent!"

"No princess, it's alright. It's time for me to disappear. Forever." I shook my head obstinately, desperately trying to think of a way to save Loke as Lucy gripped his arm.

"You can't just give up!" Loke grunted as he shifted, sitting further upright then looked to his hand as it flickered in and out of sight.

"No...your hands!"

"When I killed Karen, I broke a fundamental celestial law. Now I have to pay the price. Not a day goes by when I don't think about her and what I did. I tried to stay distracted so it wouldn't constantly be on my mind but it's like she's haunting me." He shivered and I looked up at Lucy with hopeless tears in my eyes. "I've been waiting for this, for my magic energy to finally run out and now it's about to happen right in front of Karen's grave." Loke lifted his head with a twisted smile on his face as he looked between us. "Then I'll be free. Free from the guilt that's burned me. Before I go, I want to thank you. You've restored my faith in celestial wizards." He said to Lucy before he collapsed further into my lap, my hands gripping onto him tightly as his eyes looked up into mine easily, his hand reaching up to wipe away my tears. "And you. You restored my faith in humanity altogether. You brought me a small measure of peace, princess, I hope you'll remember that." I shook my head, not wanting to listen. This can't be goodbye!

"Wait! I can save you! You can't give up now!" Lucy yelled desperately, on her hands and knees before Loke as her shoulders trembled.

"Please tell everyone in Fairy Tail I said goodbye…" Her eyes filled with tears and I watched as her lips trembled, her heart beating furiously in her chest as she slammed a fist onto the ground with a burst of anger.

"It's not fair! I won't let you die! All you have to do is go back to the celestial world and your life force will be restored, right? There's got to be a way I can send you back!" Loke's lips didn't even move as he spoke, his voice becoming distant and more like an echo in our minds as the more of him disappeared.

"I'm afraid that's impossible. I broke the law and I'm being punished."

"Even so…this isn't right! You didn't kill Karen, it was just an accident! It wasn't your fault!" She cried hysterically before throwing her arms around Loke, pressing her eyes shut and yelled between sobs. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Take Loke back to the celestial world!" I remained there helpless, praying with every ounce of faith in my body that Lucy could make this work. I wasn't ready to let go of Loke yet, he didn't deserve to die this way as he was not to blame for a stupid wizard who couldn't keep her own pride in check! "Please! OPEN!"

"Calm down, it won't work. It's okay." Loke tried but Lucy gripped onto his arms and began to shake him as I moved back and around to face him, tears still sliding down my face as his feet began to disappear for good.

"It's not okay! I can't just sit here whilst my friend disappears right before my eyes!" Suddenly a pillar of light burst around us and I stared in shock as Loke's body reformed, Lucy's voice crying upwards to the heavens as sparks flew around us and a tonne of magical energy swirled around us from Lucy. "Open! Gate of the Lion!"

"Stop it! You're going to use up all your magical energy like this!"

"Whatever it takes, I'm going to save you Loke! I'll open your gate. I won't give up! I promise I'm going to get you to the celestial world!" Lucy screamed as I lunged forwards and grabbed her hands, our arms forming a circle around Loke as my eyes narrowed in focus, my breaths deepening as I began to shift my magical energy.

"Let me help you Lucy! Take my magical energy, maybe it'll help!" I yelled over the raging waves that surrounded us and the boom of magic that continued to shine like a pillar of golden fire. "Take all you need!"

"No! Stop it both of you!" But we ignored Loke despite his pleading, Lucy locking hands with me and I felt my magical energy begin to drain away from my body, seeping straight into Lucy as I locked my focus on her own energy source, allowing ourselves to merge so that our hearts and minds become one and our voices rose up together in the same voice.

"Open! Gate of the Lion! OPEN!"

"It's not gonna open for you! As far as their concerned I'm responsible for Karen's death, they're not going to let me go back!" Lucy and I yelled as our magic began to peak, sending an exhilarating rush through our bodies like a network of tingles shot through us like hot needles being poked into our skin. "Cut it out both of you! You're starting to assimilate with me, if you don't stop this then you're going to disappear too!"

"We won't stop until the gate is open!" Lucy and I both shouted, hunched over and gripping onto one another around Loke with our eyes tightly pressed shut. "We won't let you die! What's the point of having magic power…if you can't save the people you care about?!"

"Don't do this!" He begged, trying to force us to break apart. "DON'T MAKE ME LIVE WITH THE GUILT OF KILLING YOU BOTH TOO!"

"You didn't kill her!" I thundered, struggling for breath as my chest began to burn with flames and my stomach twisted into a sickening knot as Lucy spoke with me. "Whoever decided you were responsible…needs to know that THEY WERE WRONG!" Suddenly a colossal boom raged through our minds and I was ripped apart from Lucy and Loke, my body flying backwards until with a flash of light and spinning stars I poised in the air, suspended seemingly weightless as my mind became a blank slate of emptiness, unaware of anything that revolved around me until after what felt like an eternity of holding my breath, I crashed down to the ground and my back slammed against Karen's grave, stopping me from rolling over the edge of the cliff.

I shivered on the ground, struggling for breath as a cold sweat encased me. The light of dawn was breaking over the horizon and shining upon the waterfall, I could feel its gradual warmth and the light as it touched me but I still couldn't gather enough strength to get up. "Fae! Are you okay? Talk to me, are you hurt?" Lucy's panicked voice filled my mind as she turned me over and I forced my eyes open to look at her.

"Lo…ke?" She gave me a warm smile before lifting up a golden key with the head of a lion.

"He's back in the spirit world. The spirit king showed up and after I gave a fair, well structured argument, he came around. Loke's back where he belongs and he's even contracted to me now. He wanted to atone for what he did to Karen, so the spirit king ordered him to be my guardian, isn't that cool?" My lips quavered as I smiled, still trembling as I gave a sigh and relaxed against the rocks.

"That's…good. I'm glad." I said before sighing deeply.

"Do you need some help? I took a lot of your magical energy, I'm so sorry about that."

"It was worth it." I murmured before forcing myself to stand though I leaned dependently on Lucy. "Let's just…go home."


	20. Author's Note

Hey everyone, just so you know, the next story part to Angel and Demons is up! It's called _Of Angels and Demons_ , so be sure to check it out to find out what happens next! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I look forward to seeing you again over in my next story part.


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